A Charmed Story 7: Hope Dies Last
by crazyDFFgang
Summary: Not another demon! Attacks at the manor are increasing dramatically. What's behind all that? And does it have something to do with that unexpected visitor from another time? !COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

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A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 1**

Chris was sitting on a white bench in the big conference room. They were sitting in a half-circle, in three rows rising in the height from the first to the last, so that everyone could see what's going on. Everything was white there... boring white.  
Chris tried to listen to Odin's speech about the latest demonic activities... but there was nothing he didn't already know... He hated those Elder-meetings.  
He couldn't help yawning a little, earning an understanding smile from Silas, who sat next to him. He and the Elder-witch had become kind of friends lately... well, kind of...  
Chris sighed and tried to concentrate again. But suddenly he jumped up a worried expression on his face.  
"Yes, Christopher?" Odin asked looking at him, same as the other Elders.  
"Excuse me, my wife is calling!" Chris replied grinning weakly and orbed away. He knew, that his wife was the only reason they accept for him to go... at least she was pregnant since eight month now...

°°°°°°°°°°

"What's wrong?" Paige asked after orbing into the attic.  
"Usual stuff," Piper replied.  
The youngest of the sisters sighed: "Oh... what demon is it this time?"  
Piper didn't react. Instead she called her other sister again: "PHOEBE!"  
Seconds later the woman appeared through the door. "I'm sorry," she said excited, "but... it's so cute to see Cole with his nephews... so cute..."  
"Yeah-yeah-yeah... could you now please concentrate?" Piper replied grumbling.  
"Where is Leo?" Paige asked.  
Piper sighed: "On the way... hopefully for him."  
Suddenly Bianca shimmered in. Looking a little exhausted, she sat down on the old sofa.  
"Are you alright?" Piper asked worried. "You know, you shall not shimmer on your own, till the baby is born..."  
Bianca rose her hands to stop her: "I know but this is important... I had another visit from that little girl..." She pointed at her now really big womb before she went on: "What ever you're doing, we have to go down to the living room."  
"What?" asked Paige surprised.  
Bianca shrugged a little helpless: "I can't explain it to you, but... Hope said the whole family should go to the living room, now!" Then she looked up to the ceiling: "Chris? Honey, could you come down here for a moment?"  
Seconds later Chris orbed in looking freaked out at his wife. "Are you ok?" he asked worried. "Is everything alright? You shouldn't be here, you should relax..."  
"I'm fine," she answered and caressed his cheek. It was so cute how much he cared about her, even a little too much sometimes.  
Paige couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her nephew. He looked so funny in that stupid white and golden Elder-dress.  
"So what did you call me for?" Chris asked still worried, pulling a streak out of her face. She looked so tired and exhausted.  
At that moment Leo returned. "Nothing," he said to Piper, but then noticed Chris and Bianca. "What's going on here?" he asked. And turning to his son he added: "Shouldn't you be on a meeting?"  
"We really need to go down to the living room... Hope said we shall all be there, together, NOW!" Bianca said again, sounding almost desperate, while Chris observed her still worried.  
Piper looked at her husband and sighed: "Well... that demon can wait a little longer, I think." Her sisters agreed.

°°°°°°°°°°

Five minutes later, they were all together in the living room. Bianca lay on the sofa, her head on Chris's lab. The Elder-witch had quickly changed his clothes to something more comfortable. It seemed to him, that he wouldn't return to the meeting anyway.  
Leo and Piper had fun with their kids. It was good to see how protective Wyatt for his little brother was. It seemed he liked the job as 'big brother'.  
Phoebe sat on Cole's lab, he was hugging her lovingly. Since she knew that he was a witch too, they had become more closer, if that was even possible. And against her usual behaviour, Phoebe had kept his secret.  
Paige lend in the doorframe and looked at them frowning: "So what are we doing here?"  
Bianca sighed: "I don't know. Really, I've no idea... Hope was just there, suddenly, telling me we should come together here... and it seemed to me that she had a real good reason to do so... I..."  
She wasn't able to go on with her answer. Suddenly some little lights appeared... orbing lights... but they were not blue, they were kind of purple.  
"What the hell is that?" Piper muttered her hands ready to blow up any evil thing appearing there in front of them.  
Leo shook his head confused: "No idea."  
It took a little longer, much longer than usual, till a body began to materialise within those lights... or better two.  
Completely confused Bianca sat up, looking at the couple in disbelieve, same as the rest of the family.  
In front of them stood a beautiful young woman with long dark brown hair and bright and shining green eyes. Next to her, holding her hand, stood a tall man in his mid-twenties, with short blonde hair. He looked at the woman with a dizzy smile. "That was incredible," he said and let her hand free.  
"WYATT?" Piper exclaimed.  
"Hey mom," he answered grinning and waving to her.  
"Oh my God," whispered Chris and struggled to stand up. Slowly he went over to the woman and stopped only inches in front of her, not believing who he was facing.  
She smiled. "Hey daddy," she said with a soft voice and nearly jumped to his arms.  
Bianca touched her womb, not believing all that. "That's impossible," she muttered.  
"Leo, am I dreaming?" Piper asked. But her husband was unable to answer.  
Phoebe hugged Cole tightly, who seemed to be frozen in shock. Only Paige seemed cool-headed as always: "Can anyone of you explain us what you're both doing here?"  
"Well..." Hope hesitated while separating from her dad and walking over to her mom, "I'm just the taxi." Then she sat down next to Bianca and touched her womb softly. "It's hard to believe that it's me inside there," she said with a smile.  
Bianca just looked at her and then, all of a sudden, she hugged her daughter tightly, completely overwhelmed by all this. She hugged her so tight, like she never wanted to let her go again.  
"What do you mean with 'taxi'?" Paige kept on asking.  
"For me, aunt Paige," Wyatt said.  
Hope nodded: "Yeah, and I have to go back now." She freed herself from her mom and went over to Wyatt again. She handed a little vial to him. The liquid inside was shining like the purple orbing lights. "You know how to use this?" she asked. Wyatt nodded.  
Then she turned back to her parents. "We'll meet soon again," she said and pointed at her mom's womb smiling. "Bye," she said then and disappeared in those purple orbing lights again.  
As soon as she was gone, Piper rose: "Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, I want an explanation!"  
Wyatt shrugged: "I can only tell you what I know."  
"That would be a start," Cole remarked, but immediately shut up when he saw Piper's gaze.  
"Well it happened three nights ago for the first time," Wyatt explained. "I woke up hearing Chris call for me. First I thought it was just a dream but it also happened the following nights... So finally I talked to you, Chris." The Elder-witch frowned looking at his 'big brother' confused like the others.  
"I don't know for sure, but... it seemed to me that you knew, or will know, what I was talking about." Wyatt made a short break, then he went on: "You told me, that call came from the past and that I have to go there, or here, to do something... to help you."  
"But how...?" Leo asked, but he didn't had to end this question. Wyatt knew what he wanted to know.  
"He didn't told me more about this... But he," with this words he turned back to his brother again, "you told your daughter to bring me here. You said I'll know my task when the time is up to. And you said I should enjoy it to be with you for a few days." He grinned about that comment on his own.  
"So Hope brought you here?" Bianca asked still confused that she had already met her unborn daughter in the completely growing-up-version.  
"Yeah, she did... finally she's able to do it, after the power-binding-spell wear off a few month ago," the blonde man replied. But no one seemed to notice his last comment.  
"So that purple orbing was...?" Cole tried to understand all this.  
"... orbing through the time, yes." Wyatt answered.  
Chris shook his head. He still couldn't believe all those news. His daughter was able to travel though the time... What would the other Elders think about that???  
But anyway... his brother was there... again... and he couldn't deny that he was happy about that. So he pulled the blonde man into a tight hug.

°°°°°°°°°°

A few hours later, all the family was sitting in the lounge, staring amazed at a smiling Wyatt and talking all at the same time.  
Bianca fixed her eyes at the front, wrapped up comfortably in Chris's arms: "I can't believe yet that she was Hope..."  
"Believe it, Bianca... and she will be the most awesome girl in the world," a proud Wyatt answered.  
Chris smiled slightly: "I thought I would never see you again... At least... You know what I mean. Here, this way..."  
"Now and in this shape," Wyatt concluded, gesturing to show his entire body, meaning that what his brother didn't expect to see was this adult Wyatt in this time.  
Chris nodded, grinning. "It's amazing..." he murmured. Then he frowned: "But everything is fine, isn't it?? I mean... in the future..." Bianca, Cole, Phoebe, Leo, Piper and Paige, all of them turned to look at the visitor from the future, expectant.  
Wyatt shrugged: "I told you, brother... I didn't come for something related to my time, everything is perfect. I'm not hiding anything, I don't really know why I am here..."  
"Ok... So... I'm supposed to call you, some moment from here on, in a few days?" Wyatt nodded at his brother's question, as he continued: "And my future self didn't tell you...?" This time Wyatt shook his head. "But he said you'll know, when the moment comes."  
"Future consequences, blahblahblah..." Paige said, rolling her eyes, seeing how Chris blushed.  
"Whatever happens, your future self knows that he didn't know when the moment came, so that's why he doesn't want you to know... Why he doesn't want Wyatt to tell him. Probably he can not know why he came here, either. That's the way it has to be," Leo muttered, trying to understand himself.  
Cole frowned, leaning forward a little bit: "But if the future is alright, that means that everything's gonna be alright... So you'll succeed."  
Phoebe hugged him tightly: "That does not mean that we do not need to work hard, sweetie..."  
"So..." Piper sighed, looking at the playpen where the two kids played out of the corner of her eye, "I guess well have action soon again!" Wyatt grinned and nodded at the same time.  
But Bianca looked her husband in his eyes: "I don't like this, Chris. Not now..." The idea that he was going to need help from future Wyatt meant that something would be really wrong. And that scared her lot.  
Chris kissed her forehead, and caressed her hair. "You don't need to worry, sweetie. I'm sure the problem is that I just missed Wyatt so much, that I decided to call him..." he said in the attempt to make her calm down, and winked at his brother.  
Wyatt smiled back at him. But he couldn't lie to him. Not to Chris. His expression was one of concern and worrying...  
"Ok..." Cole sighed, jumping on his feet, "I wanted to ask some questions about the future, but I guess it will be useless, so... What if I prepare some tea?? And we talk about... the past?" He shrugged, and the others chuckled.  
"Cool, uncle! I'd love to have a hot cup of tea..." Wyatt answered.  
Chris was going to say something, but suddenly he looked at the ceiling. "The Elders... They want me back."  
Leo looked at him worried. "I hope they don't know about... this," he added turning his eyes to Wyatt.

°°°°°°°°°°

When Chris orbed back to the conference-room he found it empty. The meeting was already over. Chris sighed then he noticed someone in his back.  
"We thought we told you and your family what could happen when you travel through the time again?"  
Chris turned around grinning to face Silas. "Hey," he just said.  
Silas sighed: "Odin is trying to cover your brother but you have to send him back!"  
"I can't," the Elder-witch replied shrugging, "he didn't came through a portal or something... and I don't..."  
"Actually the Elders agreed with Chris to send me back! And don't worry, my way of travelling didn't effect the time like portals do... it's more natural..." they heard suddenly, then Wyatt appeared in bluish orbing lights.  
"Hell... are you crazy, what are you doing here?" Chris asked, even if he enjoyed the puzzled look on Silas face.  
"Don't swear brother... not here!" Wyatt teased him, making Chris grimace. Then he turned to Silas: "Well... in my time you're much... relaxed, Silas... You should really try to be more... easy."  
Chris couldn't help chuckling, while Silas looked at his brother astonished, and really pale. 'How could someone from down there - even if it was the twice blessed - enter their halls,' he thought.  
Wyatt seemed to guess what he thought: "In my time I'm here very often, you know... I think you could say that the witches and the Elders get a little closer... and..."  
"Stop!" Chris said harshly. "I don't think you should tell him that much... remember? Fu..."  
"Future consequences, I know..." Wyatt replied smiling, "you pray that to your daughter everyday!" Both brothers began to laugh, making Silas finally grinning weakly.  
"You should go now... I'll talk to Odin... but you need to go back," Silas said now a little more easier.  
Wyatt grinned: "As soon as I have finished what I need to do..."  
Silas nodded, not knowing that this meant that the timetraveller would stay a few days instead of minutes as he thought, and left the room.  
Then Wyatt turned to his brother again: "You know, that's really weird."  
"What?" Chris asked.  
"In my time you're like a second father for me, the big brother I never had... but here? Here I feel more like I'm the big brother..."  
"Well, maybe because that's what you are."  
Wyatt grinned: "You know what I mean, do you?"  
Chris nodded: "But hey... even if that's really weird... you ARE my big brother... always and forever!"  
Wyatt sighed. Suddenly he felt very emotional by all this. He was standing face to face again, with the man - his big brother to him - who had saved him, who had giving up everything for him, and had earned so much more... Even if Chris didn't knew yet... He, and only he was the great idol of Wyatt... He sighed. Then he hugged Chris tightly. "Yeah ... always and forever," he muttered.  
Chris was surprised by that reaction, but anyway... he enjoyed it. It felt good to have him around that way. Nevertheless... suddenly he felt really sad. Sad, because he knew that his brother had to leave him again, sooner or later. But then he pushed that thought aside, because he wanted to enjoy that time he had, as long as it would ever last.  
He separated himself from Wyatt and looked at him grinning: "Do you like steak? Because you know... actually I was invited this evening by someone who makes the best steaks in L.A."

°°°°°°°°°°

Piper was flipping through the book when Paige orbed in.  
"Bianca is sleeping," she said and went over to her oldest sister.  
"Thanks that you brought her back," Piper muttered.  
Paige sighed: "I didn't... she didn't want to, so I put her into my own bed."  
"She shouldn't be here... I mean... Wyatt said that... I don't want anything to happen to my little grandchild."  
Paige nodded, understanding her sister's worries. But then she grinned: "Well, I think she will be alright... we've already seen that."  
Her sister smiled: "Yeah..." That had really been amazing.  
"So what are you doing? Seeking the demon from this afternoon?" Paige asked looking over her sisters shoulder.  
Piper hesitated: "Half way... I... I just want to be prepared for... for what ever brought my son back here."  
Paige shook her head: "You should relax and enjoy his visit like Chris does..."  
Piper sighed: "Yeah... maybe." She knew her sister was right. But still she was sure that there was something wrong... she could almost feel it.

°°°°°°°°°°

"It is incredible, isn't it?" Phoebe asked, smiling at the sight of Cole playing with the two kids.  
They both were sitting on the floor, in the middle of the lounge, with a couple of cups of tea on the nearest table. Phoebe couldn't help grinning and laughing as she observed how much fun they were having, how Cole was throwing little Chris up in the air and catching him again, and how Wyatt laughed out loud, unable to stop.  
She sipped a little bit of tea, looking at the three of them out of the corner of her eyes. "It is really incredible... Don't you think so, Cole?" she asked a moment later, noticing that he was so concentrated on the kids that he hadn't even heard her question.  
Leo, who was sitting on the sofa, smiled, as Cole turned his head to Phoebe. "Sorry, honey, what were you saying?"  
Phoebe laughed: "I only said that this is incredible..."  
Wyatt jumped on his uncle's lap, taking advantage of the situation now that he had stopped playing with Chris and was distracted. Cole screamed and laughed at the same time, and Leo couldn't help but smile as he saw Phoebe sighing.  
"Sorry, honey, sorry..." Cole repeated, holding Wyatt's arm strongly, and placing Chris on his lap, between the kid and himself. "This little warrior wants to fight! Grrr!!!" he faked a growl and grimaced, feigning the expression of an ogre, which made the kid laugh even more.  
"Ok, ok..." Phoebe said standing up. "I guess Mr. Turner is busy at this moment. I'll talk to your secretary and see if we can find a way to make an appointment when Mr. Turner thinks it appropriate."  
Leo chuckled: "Be ready for your own children, Phoebe... This is only the beginning, I'm afraid..." She rolled her eyes.  
"Wait, wait... It's ok. Wyatt is gonna be a good kid now, and is going to let his beloved uncle talk to Miss Halliwell, future Mrs. Turner, because he doesn't want us to be divorced before we are married..."  
Phoebe smiled at his back, and hugged him from behind: "So, will you listen to me now?" she whispered.  
Cole stuck his tongue to Wyatt and then turned his face back, to look at her: "Of course, honey. Which is incredible?"  
Phoebe walked towards the sofa and sat down by Leo, sighing: "All this! The two kids here, and the two of them there, grown-up... our whole life is incredible! Do you think they will remember this? I mean... If we ask Chris now if he remembers this moment... Do you think he'll do?"  
Leo laughed: "Phoebe... I really don't think so... cause they are not the same person, you know that... But I assure you that no Chris in any future will remember this. Look at him... He's just a baby!!"  
Cole smiled, as she blushed. "Ok... I didn't pay attention to details," she muttered. "What about Wyatt?"  
"I don't..."  
At that very moment Wyatt and Chris orbed in the lounge. "Ok uncle, stop throwing little Chris into the air, because even if it seems that I enjoy it, I really freak out... He's my little brother, man. He can hit his head, or something..." Wyatt smirked, and the three adults in the room as well as Chris stared at him surprised.  
"How did you know that I was..." Cole started.  
"Playing with Chris that way? A few minutes ago? Because I remember..."  
"So, here you have the answer..." Leo said, winking.  
Chris, however, looked at his brother, and then at Cole, very worried: "Uncle are you really doing that? What if I fall down, what if I hit my head as Wyatt said...? What if...?"  
"Relax, brother... It's ok. First it isn't you exactly... and second, I was kidding, that's all," Wyatt cut him off. "He never hit his head or anything."  
"But future can change, you know..." Chris insisted.  
Phoebe rolled her eyes: "I can't believe it..."  
Wyatt shrugged: "That's my brother."  
Leo cleared his voice and asked: "What did they want? Is everything alright, Chris? Did they...?"  
"Everything was fine, dad... Don't worry that much. Some Elders know, but it'll be ok. We talked to them," Wyatt answered, before Chris could even open his mouth.  
"Silas or Odin?" Leo asked again.  
Chris nodded: "They'll cover us... Don't worry."  
Leo nodded, but Cole was still thinking about something else. He frowned, pensive: "Hey... If you remember that... do you also remember having seen yourself?? Now??"  
Wyatt opened his mouth, then he closed it and raised an eyebrow: "I'm not sure... Probably."  
"Kids only remember repeated situations, and things like that, Cole..." Leo explained, "Wyatt probably remembers that you used to do that; that you do it very often. That's all. He can't remember something that happened punctually, in a determined moment." Wyatt nodded, and his little self chuckled.  
All the heads turned to the two kids who had been playing, not paying attention to any of them. Wyatt had taken some colour pencils and was painting Chris's clothes, making him laugh at the contact of the pencil with his body, under the clothes.  
"Oh, my Gosh..." Phoebe said, rushing to take Chris on her arms.  
"That's not nice, little warrior!" Cole exclaimed.  
Adult Wyatt half-smiled, and Chris rolled his eyes: "You really enjoyed it, huh?" Leo smiled at them.  
"Ok Wyatt... We should go... Dad," the Elder-witch added looking at Leo, "we'll be out today. We only wanted you to know. Just call us if you need something, and we'll orb right here."  
Leo nodded: "Ok... Be careful."  
"Have fun!" Cole and Phoebe said at the same time.  
"I guess we'll do..." Wyatt said, pointing at the two kids, who were laughing without rest. Then, they two orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Piper was still flipping through the book, while her little sister checked the sideboard with the potions. This was an useless work, but she didn't want to leave her sister alone, and she also didn't want to stand just next to her.  
"Nothing," Piper sighed. "Why the hell are so much demons attacking us that are NOT in this book? That never happened before... well, not that often."  
Paige shrugged: "Maybe because of Chris?" Piper looked up from the book and glared at her sister questioning. "Look, what I mean is... Chris is good and powerful, and he wasn't meant to be here... Maybe that attracts demons in a kind of way."  
Piper sighed. She wanted to answer something, but she didn't got the chance.  
All of a sudden another demons shimmered in, quiet looking like the one form the morning, but not the same.  
He threw a fireball to Piper, who grasped the book and ducked. The ball hit the book-rest which started to burn.  
Then the demon turned to Paige. But the youngest sister grabbed some potions from the sideboard and threw them at him. Seconds later the sisters saw the demon end up in flames.  
"Water," Paige summoned, "over the book-rest!" Seconds later also this problem was solved.  
"Thanks," Piper muttered, and then she add looking at the burned wood, "anyway we should by a new one."  
Paige just grinned: "Shall I go and get the others?"  
"Yeah, I think so..." her sister nodded, "there seems to be more about it..."  
"What about Chris and Wyatt? Shall I bring them, too?"  
Piper shook her head: "No..." She sighed: "I think they should enjoy the time they have together... I believe they will not have much time for being together THAT way... in the same age, like they should be."  
Paige nodded. She knew very well what her sister meant. She felt the same. There had been only less times, that she had Chris so... excited like in the few minutes down in the living room before the Elders had called him. "Yeah..." she muttered and orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris and Wyatt could smell the food as soon as they materialised. Wyatt grinned: "Oh man... I really love that."  
"As I said," Chris replied, "the best steaks in L.A."  
Wyatt laughed and agreed: "Absolutely!"  
That second Victor entered the room with some plates. When he saw the two man he nearly dropped them on the floor, startled. "Chris, damned! How often shall I tell you not to scare me that way," he exclaimed.  
Looking at a even more grinning Wyatt, Chris replied: "Well, I'm sure, you will get used to that, like to the orbing-stuff."  
Then Victor noticed that his grandson wasn't alone. A little confused he said: "Well... I... I thought you wanted a grandfather-grandson-meeting... I didn't expect another guest."  
Chris noticed a little sadness in his voice. He hadn't thought about that this lunch was meant to give Victor a chance to get to know him better. They really hadn't found the time for that before.  
"I'm sorry, grandpa," he said, "but... well... he will not stay for long... sadly... only a few days... And I'm sure that you would hate me, if I wouldn't have brought him here, just for a little while..."  
Chris grinned at his brother. Wyatt smiled back at him. Then he looked at Victor who was starring at them still confused. The old man had no idea who this person in front of him was. And Chris and Wyatt knew that, and they enjoyed it.  
"So, maybe you should introduce your new friend to me," Victor said finally.  
Wyatt grinned: "Oh... Come on grandpa... I think you already know me!"

°°°°°°°°°°

"They did it again."  
"Perfect."  
"Are you sure? We're running out of demons..."  
"That's why we created them."  
Silence.  
The cave was damp and dark. Torches on the walls projected their shadows on the ground, creating a ghostly and supernatural atmosphere that wrapped up its two inhabitants.  
The youngest shook his head, but said nothing.  
"You don't need any explanation. You only need to believe what I say, and obey. That's all," the oldest continued.  
The one who seemed to be his subordinate lowered his head, ashamed, and this softened him a little bit.  
He put a hand on the young man's shoulder, and said in a calmed tone: "This is their only mission, boy. To get killed, by the Charmed Ones."  
The silent alluded man nodded without raising his eyes, while the other one smirked.  
"I'd like to see their faces while searching in their precious book... Three demons, four... None of them in that damned book. The poor girls and their family will lose their self-confidence very soon. They believe they have everything under control, but this will help them to see that they're completely wrong." He stepped back and continued smiling at him: "Let things come when they have to. You'll see which is the purpose of this in good time."  
The boy nodded with a grave expression on his face.  
"Now you should leave... We don't want them to suspect..."  
He nodded again and orbed away, without daring to look at the other one.  
The man's lips drew an evil smile on his face, as he observed how his follower disappeared, and then he went out of the cave, to contemplate the moon. The wood was as dark as the darkest abyss, and the wolves howled like lost souls.  
"All in good time..." he muttered once again to himself, as he lost his sight in the bright moon.

_

* * *

(Chapter 1 written by Chrissy.W.x and Belén)_


	2. Chapter 2

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 2**

Victor coughed, choked and cleared his voice after realising who the blonde man in front of him was. Then he sat down very pale, with his two grandsons surrounding him with a concerned look in their eyes.  
"Are you ok, grandpa?" Wyatt asked. Chris brought a glass of water for him.  
"Yeah... yes, I'm fine. It is just that..." The old man raised his eyes to meet Wyatt's. "Oh, my... I should be used to this."  
Wyatt smiled, but he had a worried expression that he couldn't fake.  
"I'm sorry, we should have let you know... I just wanted to surprise you..." Chris mumbled, observing how Victor gulped down the whole content of the glass.  
"It's ok..." he smiled at them.  
Wyatt nodded. "You have to be careful with your heart, grandpa..." he said, almost unaware of his own words, which made Chris look at him questioningly. They crossed their looks, but said nothing else. However, Chris would ask later what he had meant... Perhaps Victor was going to have problems with his heart?  
"Come on, man... You didn't come here to admonish me, did you? Give me a hug..." the old man said, smiling at the two brothers and with more colour in his face.  
Chris grinned as he saw Wyatt hugging Victor with all his strength. "Sorry, grandpa..." the blonde man said, "I guess I came in a wrong time. And it seems you wanted to be with Chris alone."  
"No, no, no... Don't say that! You're my grandson, how could I have known? But forget what I said, if I said something that made you think that way... I'd love to have you both here!!"  
He stood up and went to the table, where rested all the steaks: "Come on, sit down! We have a lot of things to talk about... starting by what the hell is going on? What is my little blonde grandson doing here, in his twenty and something?"  
Both men laughed heartily, and sat down, pleased to share the meal with their beloved grandfather.  
"Well, actually..." Wyatt looked at Chris out of the corner of his eyes, "I just came to do tourism."  
Victor raised his eyebrow and looked at Chris, who shrugged. "Alright... Magical stuff, nothing of my business. Got it. Just let me know if everything's alright at home..." Victor begged.  
The two brothers looked at each other again. "Yes. Nothing wrong anywhere," Wyatt answered. Chris frowned, but Wyatt shrugged this time. There was nothing wrong... For the moment, at least.  
"Good..." Victor sighed, and took a bit of the salad, that he had prepared to accompany the steaks. "So, what about the riddles?"  
Wyatt raised both his eyebrows: "What?" Then he turned to Chris wonderingly.  
His brother smiled: "Don't tell me you don't remember... You have been driving all of us crazy with them. In the Book of Shadows, man..."  
"Oh..." Wyatt chuckled, "you mean, the present I left for you during my last visit?"  
"Aha..." the two men said at the same time.  
"So did you solve them all?" Wyatt asked with a mocking expression in his face.  
Chris was going to answer something when he realised that he should know: "You come from the future... Tell us." He smirked.  
Wyatt raised his hands and said: "You failed. You didn't get me. I'm sorry Chris... My 'you' would kill me if I told you, future consequences!"  
Chris shrugged: "I had to try, at least. But I guess we'll solve them all, some day. You seem to be very calm about that." Wyatt smiled but said nothing else.  
Then Victor took the word: "How did you come up with all those riddles? You must be a genius..."  
Wyatt smirked: "I am, grandpa..." The three men started to laugh soundly.

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki was on the top of the stairs in the library, trying to put everything in order.  
"Where the hell is this boy..." she growled, pushing a book towards the bottom of the shelf.  
Steve shook his head, and stretched his arm to give her another book. "I don't know... He's just a Teen, Nicki... Remember what we were like when we were just students."  
Nicki sighed: "We were not like that at all. We were responsible."  
Steve chuckled: "Ask Tom."  
Nicki went downstairs and pushed the ladders to the next shelf. "Tom was a special case," she was very angry.  
"Adam will come... Late, but he won't fail us."  
At that very moment, the young man orbed in the middle of the library: "I'm so, so, sorry... I had something to do."  
Nicki stopped for a moment and approached him: "Young man, if you want to keep that fellowship, you should be on time, always. Otherwise, I'm afraid I will have to report your case. There are many students that need the money and that will take more advantage of this opportunity than you."  
Adam lowered his head: "I'm sorry... A friend, a really special one needed my help... I couldn't let him down. But it took more time than I had thought."  
Steve put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled reassuringly: "Nicki, girl... be kinder. The boy didn't mean it, and he'll promise this won't happen again, will you Adam?" The boy nodded energetically.  
Nicki sighed: "Ok... Let's go to my office. You have to work on something."  
Adam looked at Steve, who nodded, so he followed Nicki who was already going out of the room.

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole hugged Phoebe tightly. They both sat or better laid on the sofa and watched the little kids playing.  
Wyatt kept on bringing thousands of little toys and placed them in front of his little brother, who had no idea what to do with it and preferred sleeping. It was just cute.  
"Is Chris still blocking out little Wyatt?" Phoebe asked suddenly.  
Cole nodded: "Yeah... he told me, even if it's wonderful to be connected with him in that kind of way, it's... difficult, cause he's so small..."  
Phoebe grinned: "Yeah... I imagine I would have to correct some exams and in my head someone is calling for his teddy all the time..." Both adults chuckled about that thought.  
"But... I hope Chris is able to share that connection with the adult version... I mean, as long as he is here..."  
Phoebe grinned: "Yeah... I think so..."  
Cole smiled at her lovingly and gave her a passionate kiss. First Phoebe kissed him back, but then she forced him to stop. "Not in front of the kids," she said grinning, making her fiancé laugh heartily.  
That moment Paige orbed in. "Hey" she said. Then she pointed to the attic: "Work!"  
Phoebe and Cole sighed.  
"Where is Leo?" the youngest asked then.  
Cole grinned: "Already on the way!"

°°°°°°°°°°

Leo entered the attic, grinning. It was a good feeling to know that Wyatt was such a good person... He was really proud of his sons...  
"Is Chris back?" Piper asked.  
"Yeah, and no..." Leo replied, "he and Wyatt are gone to visit your father."  
"WHAT?" his wife exclaimed. "THEY ARE GOING TO KILL HIM!"  
Leo looked at Piper amused while she went to the table and picked up her mobile phone.  
"Oh... come on... don't worry!" he said smiling. "Don't you think that you are overreacting a little?"  
"NO! DAMNED! He's... he's not that young... and remember how he..." That second her father picked up the phone on the other end of the line, making Piper stop.  
"Hey daddy," she went on, "how are you doing?"  
Both were calm for a moment, while Piper listened to the phone.  
Then she spoke again: "Tell them they are both grounded for that!... Yeah... no... but dad, they shouldn't... yeah ok... ok... yeah... Am I not allowed to worry about you?... Alright... Gave them both a kiss from me... Bye!" Then she hung up the phone smiling.  
"Told you, there is no need to worry," Leo said.  
Piper sighed and went over to her husband. She pulled him close to herself and he put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. Both just smiled at each other for a little while.  
"We have three great sons now, honey," he said finally.  
She kissed him on his nose and then whispered: "Yeah... they are the best of us." Leo was about to gave her a kiss, when they heard the others on the stairs.

°°°°°°°°°°

Bianca laid still in Paige's bed, but she wasn't able to sleep. She was worried... really worried.  
Her thoughts were spinning around her husband and her brother-in-law. 'Why the hell was he here, in their time?' she asked herself again for the thousandth time.  
Her hand placed on her womb, she felt her daughter moving. It was a soft feeling.  
But suddenly she felt her kicking. "Wow," she whispered, "please could you calm down? Mommy wants to keep her organs where they should be." Another turn of Hope, and she was silent inside her.  
Bianca sighed. The last times her little daughter had started to punch her a little harder... sometimes it even hurt a little. She really wished her to be born soon, but there were still about three to five weeks to go.  
She shook her head. Her own mom had told her, that Phoenix-babies are always a little aggressive, that was part of their genetic code. The thought about that conversation made Bianca wish her child to be born even a little more faster. She wasn't sure how long she would be able to handle her kickings and punchings.  
Suddenly she felt another kick. "Damned!" she hissed. The short but strong pain she got made her stop breathing for a moment. But as soon as it came the pain was gone.  
Breathing heavily now, she noticed the bluish orbing-lights.  
"Hey, are you ok?" Chris asked worried kneeling down next to her. He had felt her pain and orbed to her as fast as he could. She nodded, but Chris could see that it wasn't true. His wife was pale and she pressed his hand strongly.  
"Where is your brother?" she asked.  
He smiled: "With grandpa... telling him not to worry..." Bianca nodded. "Hey, what happened?" Chris asked still worried, even if his wife seemed to relax a little.  
Bianca grimaced: "You daughter wants to be a kick boxer as it seems."  
Chris sighed. He already noticed how much that little girl was able to hurt her. That's why everyone told Bianca to relax as much as possible.  
"It's ok," she said guessing his thoughts, "I can handle that, she was just surprising me."  
The Elder-witch shook his head: "No... and you know that..." He sighed again. "Maybe we should try to get that potion your mom had told you about."  
Bianca struggled to sat up and glared at him angry: "No! NEVER! I'm not going to put my child under any kind of drugs just to keep her calm!"  
"But it hurts you!" Chris replied desperate.  
"She will not hurt me that much... Remember? She was always protecting me... She has also your blood inside her... She's a good girl... and you know that everything will be alright. You've seen it..." Chris nodded, but he still felt a lot of worry inside him. "Go back to Victor and Wyatt... please... do it for me. I don't want to be the reason that you waste the time you have with him."  
Chris sighed again. He looked at her with watery eyes. How could she love him so much... He kissed her. And then, even if he didn't want to, he orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Well, so let me guess, Piper... Another unknown demon!!!" Phoebe exclaimed, entering the attic and giving Leo and her sister only enough time to separate from each other.  
"And one easy to kill... " Paige sighed, walking behind Phoebe. "As always."  
Cole arrived a couple of seconds after them, because he had stayed back to put the two kids in the playpen.  
"Where are my sons?" Piper asked, turning to them, as she felt Leo drawing circles on her back, lovingly.  
"In the lounge. They are fine... I thought it was better to keep them there, rather than bringing them here, just in case there was some demon..." Cole answered, stepping backwards with the intention of rectifying and bring the kids upstairs with them.  
Leo nodded: "It's ok, I think they can stay there; Wyatt will use his forcefield to protect them both, and we'll get to know before something can happen to them."  
Cole nodded: "So what can we do? Do you know something about the new demon?" he asked.  
Piper and Paige shrugged at the same time. "The same as always. We only know that we know nothing," Paige recited, making the others smile.  
"But we need to do something about it..." Piper said, seriously. "I wonder if you don't have any idea of where can all this come from, Cole... after all you were..."  
Phoebe glared at her sister, but Cole smirked: "A demon, I know... But I don't have any idea... These demons seem to be really stupid. Nothing to worry about..."  
"And that is precisely why I'm starting to worry," Piper concluded. "What if Belthazor is back, and tries to do something... Do you think this can be a strategy?"  
Cole turned paler, but shook his head, under the attentive look of Paige, who answered: "I don't think he's behind all this stuff. But someone is, and we need to discover it."  
"Ok... so do we have any pattern?" Phoebe asked, holding Cole's hand. The empath could feel his uneasiness and tried to change the topic, but she would talk to him later, anyway.  
Paige frowned: "The same stupid demons all the time. Nothing really interesting, they are ugly, very similar to each other... And it seems they only can throw energy balls, or at least we don't give them time for anything else."  
"And they appear at any time of the day..." Piper continued, thoughtful. "There's no pattern."  
"But they never appear when the three of you are together," Leo pointed out. "Maybe that means something."  
"I don't know..." Piper sighed, tiredly and worried. She was the only one of the sisters that thought there was something else, something darker and more dangerous.  
Paige smiled: "They are defeated by only two of us, how are they supposed to want to appear when the Power of Three is together?"  
Phoebe laughed at that: "Ok... I think we can go with the kids again, and forget about this." Piper shook her head: "I didn't think it was really worrying before, but now, it is too much of a coincidence that Wyatt came back... Something is going on, and we have to find out what it is." All of them nodded, more serious. She was right. They had to start to worry and pay attention to the details.  
Cole cleared his voice in the middle of the silence: "I... I think I'll take the kids."  
"And I'm going to see if Bianca is ok... I think she should be at the school, and also the kids, it is safer..." Paige continued. Then she orbed to her room, as Cole went downstairs.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Is she ok?" Victor and Wyatt asked as soon as Chris rematerialised in the lounge.  
The young Elder-witch nodded: "Yeah... Little Hope is a little bit naughty sometimes."  
Wyatt chuckled: "Well, she is a good girl. Very lively, I can tell you. But she is the best." Chris smiled at his words. He was the happiest men in the world, or at least he thought so.  
"Well, Wyatt told me everything already... So you met your daughter? I mean, her adult version..." Victor asked, smiling. While they went on with the meal.  
Chris grinned: "Yes! It was amazing, grandpa... I wish you could have seen her..." He sat down on his seat again, and took a piece of steak.  
"And you really don't know why you came here?" Victor asked again.  
His two grandsons shrugged: "No… I guess we will know soon."  
"But I hope it is nothing really worrying... " Chris muttered.  
Silence wrapped them all for a moment, until Victor smiled: "So are the steaks good?"  
"Great!!" the two men exclaimed at the same time, making him laugh.  
"No doubt that you are siblings..."

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve sighed once Nicki disappeared with Adam. "This girl needs to relax," he thought. Then he turned and continued putting the books in order.  
That wasn't their task, of course, but Nicki couldn't stand that the books weren't in the right place. At least in the place that Nicki wanted them to be... So she decided to work on it herself, and Steve, of course, helped her.  
"Professor Moody... eh... Steven..."  
Steve turned back to face the boy who had just entered, and smiled. These students would never know how to call him. "Call me simply Steve, Harry," he said.  
The boy blushed: "I'm sorry..."  
"It's ok. How can I help you?" He put his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
"I was trying to make that potion for invisibility, but I don't know what happens, I can't make it work..."  
Steve nodded. He had told his students to try to make that potion on their own during their holiday, and bring it to class at the beginning of the new year, but if they had problems, they could ask him. "Ok, let's see which the problem is."  
Harry nodded: "I have it at home... Should I bring it here?"  
"I can go with you, that's ok, I have nothing better to do."  
Harry nodded, and grabbed his arm: "Let's orb then..."

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige orbed into her room. When she saw the Phoenix she was a little shocked. Bianca laid curled on the bed. And she was really pale.  
"Are you alright?" she asked and rushed to her. Bianca nodded.  
"But you don't look like that." Paige stroke her hair really worried now. "Shall I pick up Chris?" she asked.  
"NO!" Bianca exclaimed and sat up. "He was already here a few moments ago... and I told him to leave and go back to Wyatt and Victor... I'm ok... really!"  
The witch nodded. But she couldn't help worrying. She sighed: "Ok, your decision. But we have some demonic problems so WE decided that you need to go back to the school." And when Bianca opened her mouth to protest Paige added: "NOW!"  
The Phoenix sighed. Then she took Paige hand and the witch-whitelighter orb her to her apartment.

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole had picked up Wyatt and hold him in his arms: "Hey little worrior... do you like to show your little brother the kindergarten?" Wyatt nodded smiling. Baby Chris had never been there before.  
Cole grinned: "Yeah, that's good..." Those kids were too cute...  
At that moment Paige returned. "Everything ready?" she asked.  
Cole nodded and put Wyatt to his feet. "Well I'll orb you three there, and then..."  
"No," Cole protested, "I stay!"  
Paige rolled her eyes. "It's safer there for you," she reasoned, "and I want you to look after Bianca... I think she is feeling not that well..."  
"No, I stay..." Cole gave back, "and if things turn out to be worse, I can still use the door."  
Paige nodded. Then she turned to the now empty playpen. "What? Where are they?"  
Cole frowned for a little moment, then he laughed, as he realised what happened: "Oh, I guess Wyatt shows Chris the kindergarten."  
Paige sighed again. "I'll check that," she said and orbed away.  
At the same time Cole heard footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later Phoebe appeared. "Hey honeybee," he greeted her.  
Phoebe smiled, but when she reached him she turned serious: "We have to talk."  
"About what?"  
The empath shrugged: "Large... very large... and red..."  
Cole sighed knowing exactly what or better who she meant.  
"So?" she asked.  
"So what?"  
"Oh come on," she said, "you're acting really weird, all the time the discussion comes up to him... by the way, same as Chris lately... it almost seems like you don't want us to kill him... And... I don't want to hear any fairytales now... I wanna know what's going on!"  
Cole sighed again. His fiancée was staring at him expectantly. He went over to the sofa and sat down. Phoebe followed him and sat down on the table in front of him. She tried to look him in the eyes, but he kept staring at his fingers, which he was playing with nervously.  
"Cole?" she asked again.  
He sighed, then he said quietly: "I don't want to you to kill him, because he is me... in a way he is still me... and he isn't that evil."  
"WHAT?" Phoebe exclaimed. "NOT THAT EVIL????"  
"Phoebe let me..." Cole tried.  
But Phoebes anger at that moment was too big: "He tried to kidnap you, he kidnapped your nephews, he worked for the people in grey, and he was also involved in that prophecy-stuff... he was there in that cave! And for you that is NOT THAT EVIL?????"  
"Phoebe if you would let me..." Cole tried it again, feeling the anger rose inside him.  
"And what the hell do you mean with 'he is you'? He can't be you... you're a witch, damn it!"  
Cole had turned red because of his rising anger. 'Why the hell can't she just shut up for a moment and listen,' he thought. Then he shouted: "HE IS ME! HE WILL EVER BE A PART OF ME! AND HE SAVED CHRIS!!!!"  
Phoebe starred at him shocked by his outburst. "What?" she asked after his words had found their way to her brain.  
Cole sighed again: "Which part didn't you get, huh?"  
"Cole!" she exclaimed looking furious.  
Cole rose form the sofa and started to pace around, putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Belthazor was me... he was me for nearly my whole life. Do you really think I can just forget that? We're like two sides of a medallion. We're completely different, but still the same person... You can't just separate us that way... He has always been a part of my life... if you kill him, you kill also a part of me... in a spiritual way..."  
Phoebe swallowed. She never noticed that he felt that way. "And what about Chris?" she asked a little afraid of his answer.  
Cole looked at her for a moment, then he spoke looking to the ground: "I think Belthazor shares my feelings for him... and..."  
"Cole you said he saved him?" Phoebe tried to bring him back to the point.  
He sighed again, then nodded: "He's the mysterious man in the background... the one who sent us those e-mails..."  
Phoebe was speechless for a moment. 'How could that be...?' Then she asked: "How long do you know that?"  
He didn't dare to look at her now, but answered quietly: "From the beginning... almost..."  
"Why didn't you tell me that before? Don't you trust me???"  
Cole rose his head to face her. And when he saw the pain in her eyes, he felt guilty: "Phoebe... no... I just..."  
"No," she said shaking her head, "I can't believe that you don't trust me..." With this words she stood up and left the lounge.  
"Wait...Phoe..." Cole followed her, tried to stop her, "Phoebe..."  
But she went up the stairs without looking back.  
Cole sank down at the bottom of the stairs. He shook his head and then he buried his face in his hands...

_

* * *

(Chapter 2 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x)_


	3. Chapter 3

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 3**

After the meal, Chris and Wyatt wanted to clean the table. But when they stood up, Victor pushed them down again, gently.  
"You're my guests," he said smiling. The brothers wanted to protest. "Relax boys," Victor said, "do you want a beer?"  
Wyatt grinned: "That would be great!"  
Victor nodded and took the plates to the kitchen. It was really amazing to have those two boys with him... He still couldn't believe that this blond man was really Wyatt. But then... He could see Leo in his face... and also a bit of Piper... Yeah, it was him.  
When their grandfather was gone Wyatt looked at Chris.  
"What?" the Elder-witch asked.  
"How is Bianca?... I mean, really..."  
Chris turned his look to the table: "I don't know what you mean."  
Wyatt leaned back. That was the same game as always... He sighed realising that his brother would probably never change. Then he turned to Chris again and put his arm around his shoulders: "Come on, brother... I can feel that you're worried about her. You can't hide anything from me. Thought you knew that."  
Now, Chris swallowed. But then they heard Victor returning. So he turned to his brother with worried eyes. "Later," he whispered.  
"What are you talking about?" their grandfather asked approaching them. He handed them over the bottles of beer.  
"Nothing," Wyatt answered, "we were just joking..."

°°°°°°°°°°

"Wyatt??" Paige said even before she had materialised.  
There was no one in front of her, but she heard voices so she immediately turned around, just to face Nicki and one of the students, who was holding little Chris in his arms. "Oh, you're here..." she sighed, smiling.  
Nicki raised her eyes grinning. "Yes, Wyatt was telling us that he wanted to show the school to his little brother. They're so cute, Paige!" she exclaimed, stroking the boy's hair, and standing up.  
Paige shook her head and went closer to hold Wyatt's hand: "Hey, little man... Don't do that again. You can't orb around on your own, ok?? And of course, not with Chris."  
Wyatt lowered his eyes embarrassed, but Nicki caressed his back: "Come on, Auntie Paige... the boy knew what he was doing." She winked.  
Paige sighed again, and knelt down by the kid, cupping his chin to make him look in her eyes. "It is dangerous, Wyatt... Your brother is very little, he can't defend himself. Next time, just wait for me, ok??" Wyatt nodded, ashamed, so Paige hugged the little boy.  
"Hey, did Chris like it here?" she asked then.  
Nicki smiled as Adam laughed. "I'm afraid he simply got bored," the boy said, looking at the baby in his arms, "he's sleeping." He stared at him, still amazed as he had been when the baby appeared in front of him, on the floor. Nicki had told him that they were Piper's sons.  
"Well, I guess he'll learn to love this place!" shrugged Nicki.  
Paige nodded smiling. And taking Chris from Adam's arms, she asked: "So what were you two doing here, Nicki?"  
"We were working in my office, but I forgot something so Adam went to the library to look for it, and on his way back, he found them here and called me..." The young whitelighter nodded. "By the way... can I ask why you brought them here?? Is everything ok?"  
Paige looked at the boy, hesitating, and then he turned to Nicki and smiled: "Just some... little problems, nothing to worry about." she said shortly, "but we prefer the kids to be here, you know... It's always safer, when we are busy at home."  
Nicki nodded, and turned to pick up all the books she had been carrying and which she had dropped to talk to Wyatt. "I think we should keep on working, Adam. But if you need something," she said to Paige, "just call me."  
The Charmed One nodded and thanked her, and then she turned to the children, and started to talk to them.  
"By the way, Adam..." Nicki said as they walked heading to the office, "did you find it easily, or did you need Steve's help?"  
"Steve??" Adam said, stopping suddenly. "He had left."  
"What?" Nicki asked, turning to him. "I told him to wait there for me... He said he'd be finishing putting everything in order."  
Adam shrugged: "Maybe he remembered something he had to do... He'll be back later, for your meeting." Nicki sighed, and entered her office, followed by Adam.

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige had taken little Chris with one arm and with the other one she grasped Wyatt's hand. "Let's go," she said and walked with them to the kindergarten, which was fortunately opened during the holidays.  
Suddenly they heard some quiet voices from somewhere in front of them. Paige smiled. "Seems there are more people around here, even on holidays," she said to Wyatt, who had no idea what she was talking about.  
When they turned around the corner, they saw Tom and Veronica. The couple stood close together halfway hidden behind a column. The were giggling and kissing.  
Paige cleared her throat.  
Tom turned around startled, while Veronica giggled even a little more. "Oh... hey... Paige..." the young man blushed, "what are you doing here?"  
Paige couldn't help smiling: "I'm taking Wyatt and Chris to the kindergarten."  
"Oh..." Tom muttered embarrassed.  
"And you two?" Paige asked innocently.  
Tom blushed even more. He didn't know how to answer. Veronica stepped to his side and took his hand. For a moment their eyes met, and Paige - even if she wasn't an empath - noticed the love between them.  
Then Veronica turned to the witch-whitelighter and answered innocently: "We were just discussing the subjects for the biology-lessons Tom has to hold next year." Again Tom blushed. 'How could she say that?' he thought.  
Paige laughed understandingly. "Alright, but I think it would be better to do that when you're not that exposed... your students could spy around here," she winked at them. Tom and Veronica laughed.  
And even if Wyatt had no idea what this was about, he laughed too. Laughing was funny.  
Suddenly Paige turned serious again.  
"What's wrong?" Tom asked.  
"The sisters, they are calling me," she said. Then she looked at the sleeping Chris, then at Wyatt and then at the couple again. "Could you bring them to the kindergarten?"  
Both nodded. So Paige put Chris in Veronica's arms and Tom took Wyatt's hand. Then Paige knelt down to the blond boy: "Be nice, ok? No orbings... stay at the kindergarten with your brother ok?"  
Wyatt nodded smiling. "K, Auntie Paige," he said in his childish voice.  
Paige smiled; then she turned to the young witches. "Thanks," she said and orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

When Paige arrived, Phoebe and Piper were in the attic again with the book open, but they were trying to set off a small fire on one of the chests that contained the old books and magic stuff of the family. They were using blankets, but there were flames here and there.  
"Water, Paige, come on, don't you see this?"  
"Ok, ok..." she sighed, raising a hand and said, tiredly, "water..." She was getting wary of all those stupid demons that wouldn't let them relax.  
Suddenly, water poured over Paige from nothing. Piper and Phoebe startled and turned to look at her after her sister's yelling and cursing.  
"What the hell happened?" Phoebe asked, trying to hold back her laugh, as Piper turned back to her task.  
"I orbed water!" Paige exclaimed, exasperated. "I forgot to direct it... or at least a damned bucket!"  
Phoebe chuckled, and Paige rolled her eyes, but Piper intervened, annoyed: "Come, on, Paige, I need the water!"  
"Ok, ok... Bucket of water!" she said again, raising her hand. This time, the bucket appeared in it, and she rushed to set off the fire.  
"Don't tell me," she sighed, "another demon." Her two sisters nodded at the same time without saying a word. "And what was it like this time? A dwarf? A beast?? Did it have horns? Or was it tall, handsome and well-built?"  
"The last." Phoebe said, simply.  
"The la... the what??" Paige was astounded.  
Piper shrugged. "A new demon. New demons everyday... This one was hard to kill, girl. He was like a mixture of... George Clooney and Richard Gere, with a little bit of Harrison Ford and..."  
"Oh, come on, you're kidding me..." Paige said, smirking.  
"No!!" Phoebe contradicted. "He was really good-looking..."  
"Have you taken a look at the book?" Paige asked, frowning and flipping through the pages.  
"We didn't have time. We were busy trying to set off his remains," Piper explained, referring to the flames.  
"But I guess he won't be there... as always." This time, Phoebe's tone was a worried one. Her sisters looked at her and nodded. This wasn't funny anymore...

°°°°°°°°°°

"Come in," Darryl said after someone had knocked on the door of his office. Seconds later the door was opened and a young officer went in.  
"Officer Turner," Darryl greeted him surprised.  
"Detective Morris," the man nodded to greet him back.  
Darryl noticed that the young man - who he knew was a little shy but strong and cool-headed - seemed to be a little confused and unsteady, he looked pale and had dark shadows under his eyes. He was pacing around nervously. "Is everything alright?" Darryl asked worried.  
Officer Turner laughed as if he was mad. Then he turned to the detective and said: "Of course not! What do you think, huh? After what happened I took a few weeks off to think about it... to convince myself that all this was just a freaky nightmare..."  
"Kyle," Darryl said with a friendly voice. He had stood up and put his hand on the man's shoulder to calm him down.  
Officer Turner sighed, then he let himself fall into the chair in front of Darryl's desk. "I know what I saw," he muttered, "I know that it was true... that it happened..."  
Darryl took a deep breath; then he sat down again and looked at the man still worried. That wasn't good. 'I told the sisters that they can't just ignore that he saw all this,' he thought.  
"Please Detective Morris..." the young man said after a moment of silence, "you were there too, in the prison... you must have seen it too... how he just disappeared... and then that mysterious white light that came from that storage... you were with me, you had to see it!"  
Darryl looked at the man, not sure how to react. He sighed: "Well... Nothing happened. Chris left the jail, after we released him, that's all... and that light? You know what the scientists said... it was just a cosmic phenomenon... that's all..."  
Officer Turner shook his head. He couldn't believe all that, he couldn't believe that a distinguished detective could really believe all those cover-up stories. "I don't understand," he said and glanced at Darryl.  
"What do you mean?" he asked back.  
"I don't understand how you can lie to me that way!" Officer Turner exclaimed. "I know you've seen it, and I'm sure that you know what this is all about, otherwise you wouldn't cover them! ALL I WANT IS THE TRUTH! DIDN'T I DESERVE THAT??????"  
Darryl sighed again: "Actually, I don't think that's the point..."  
Officer Turner leaned back on the chair. He hadn't expected that the Detective would confess so quickly that he knew more about all that. "So what is the point?" he asked, his voice sounding a little tired.  
"The point is that I can't tell you anything... I swore it..." Darryl said truly.  
Officer Turner sighed: "That man has to be really important, seeing you put him over your work..."  
"I'm not doing that," Darryl hissed back.  
"So? And why don't you tell Detective Johnson what happened?"  
"Because it had nothing to do with the case! And I don't want the family to get into trouble! They have already enough of that!" Darryl replied angry. And in the same moment he knew that he was gone too far.  
Officer Turner just looked at him. He didn't know what to do or say after the Detective had said that... 'The family?' he thought. 'Also Paige Matthews? She was so...'  
"Look," Darryl went on, pulling the young man out of his thoughts, "I think I'm just the wrong person to ask. And I'm sure you know a better one."  
"Miss Matthews..." Officer Turner muttered.  
Darryl nodded. He knew it was against his promises to talk to the officer that way, but what else should he do? The sisters would handle that: He wasn't able to. Kyle had simply seen too much.  
"Thanks," Officer Turner muttered and rose.  
"Don't thank me, Kyle... but before you go there, think about that... think about if it is worth that... cause there will be no way back..." Darryl said, his voice now tired like the one of the officer had been before. Officer Turner nodded. Then he left his office.  
Darryl watched the door a while after he had closed it... He thought about if he should call the sisters and tell them who might be visiting them... But before he could do that, the door was opened again.  
"We have a murder at the harbour," the man simply said.  
Darryl rose and grasped his jacket.

°°°°°°°°°°

After a few more hours of talking and laughing it was time for Chris and Wyatt to say goodbye to their grandfather.  
"It's really sad that you have to leave now," Victor said.  
Wyatt grinned: "Yeah, I know, but I'm really tired, it has been a very long day for me..." Chris couldn't help grinning. "But..." his brother went on, "if I stay here long enough, I'll promise I'll meet you again."  
Victor nodded and hugged the tall blond man: "You're always welcome!"  
"Thanks, grandpa," he muttered quietly. Then they separated.  
"Goodbye grandpa," Chris said and hugged Victor too.  
"Alright," Wyatt said then when the two had separated too, "see you later!"  
With these words he put his hand on Chris's shoulder and orbed them away.  
Victor followed the blue lights which where disappearing through the ceiling. Then he sat down on the sofa again and shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered, "just unbelievable."

°°°°°°°°°°

Wyatt orbed himself and his brother on top of the Golden Gate Bridge.  
"What? What are we doing here?" Chris asked confused. "Why did you orb me here?"  
"Because you said 'later'..." he said and sat down. Then he added, "and now it is 'later'."  
Chris sighed and sat down next to him: "So?"  
"So what about your wife?" Wyatt asked.  
The Elder-witch shrugged: "It's nothing... well... I hope so."  
"That means?" his brother didn't want to give up on that.  
Chris sighed again. Then he looked at his brother. Wyatt's light blue eyes seemed to tell him that he could tell everything to him, that he just cared about him, about them. "You really changed..."  
Wyatt grinned: "I thought you were already over that?"  
"Well... I think as long as I'm not growing older together with your little self, it will be always hard to believe that you're... good," Chris replied smiling.  
His brother nodded: "But that's not the point, so what is it, with your wife?"  
Chris looked at the skyline of the city. Then he turned to Wyatt again: "I don't know... She told me once - a really long time ago, long before we came to the past - that Phoenix-babies could be really aggressive... and lately I think Bianca got hurt by Hope sometimes... Everytime I asked her, she said that it would be nothing... But I know that she is hurt, sometimes - like this afternoon - I can even feel her pain."  
Now Wyatt was the one who sighed. He put his arm around his brother and hugged him. "Hey, don't worry," he said then with a calm voice, "I can't tell you that the little girl isn't hurting her or something, actually you never talked about something like that... But there is one thing I can tell you... in the future you are there... and as you saw on your own, Hope is there... and now you just have to believe me, when I tell you, that Bianca is there, too! They are both fine... So don't worry that much, everything will be alright."  
Chris nodded. And even if he didn't know what to answer, he was sure that Wyatt knew how thankful he was for that little information.  
For a moment they both sat there side by side in silence. Then Wyatt asked: "Hey, can I sleep on your sofa? I mean, for me it would be just like in the 'old times'..."  
Chris frowned, but then he smiled: "Of course you can."  
Wyatt nodded: "Great!"

°°°°°°°°°°

After their little fight Cole had gone out. He just needed some fresh air to clear his mind and try to find a way to explain his actions to Phoebe. He really needed to find a way, because he didn't want to lose her. He loved her so much, he needed her, he needed her so badly.  
Finally he decided that he could do nothing else, than going back and talk to her again. Hopefully she would listen to him. Hopefully she would understand...  
When he entered the manor, everything was calm, but he knew that the sisters were in the attic.  
Cole was about to climb up the stairs when the doorbell rang. He sighed, went over and opened the door.  
"Yes?" he asked, when he saw the young man who looked kind of crazy...  
"I want to talk to Miss Matthews, is she at home?" he said.  
Cole frowned: "And who are you?"  
"I'm Kyle Turner," the young man replied.  
Cole smiled. He was about to make a joke, because the boy had the same familyname as him, but then he remembered that Paige had already talked about him. Now he frowned.  
He let the man in and led him into the living room. Then he called: "Paige, here is a visitor for you..."

°°°°°°°°°°

The sisters were so focused on the book that they couldn't help flinching at Cole's voice.  
"A visitor?" Paige furrowed her eyebrows. "Who could it be?"  
"Ok, Paige, you should go now, tell him or her that we're busy and be back right away."  
The woman nodded and started to orb.  
"And don't orb!!" Piper cried.  
"And dry your clothes at least!" Phoebe added.  
But Paige had already left. The two of them looked at each other worriedly. Whoever the visitor was, he or she would freak out.

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige could hear Piper's advice just after having orbed, and redirected her destination to her own bedroom. What the hell was happening to her? She had been always the one who had everything under control. But that day she was absent-minded. She shook her head, and went downstairs, forgetting about her clothes.  
There she found Cole sitting on an armchair, and amiably talking to a young man she recognised at first sight.  
"Oh my God..." she said.  
Kyle and Cole turned to her, and both men frowned.  
"Paige... Maybe you should ponder going to change your clothes first, or you're gonna get a cold." Cole said.  
Kyle stood up immediately and went to her, grabbing her arms and startling her. "No, wait. I don't have much time. And don't worry, seeing you completely wet doesn't scare me. Not now."  
Paige tried to make him let go off her, he was behaving like a crazy man, and she was the one that started to be scared. "Kyle, are you ok?? It seems you're a little bit sick..." She glanced at Cole before Kyle led her rudely to the sofa.  
"I'm ok, I'm not crazy, I know what I saw and I'm fed up with everyone trying to make me believe that nothing happened."  
Cole stood up and went closer, hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he should separate them both, but Paige glanced at him again, warningly. They should be left alone, so Cole shrugged and went to the kitchen to get some coffee.  
"Ok... Kyle. Calm down. Tell me what happened," she said, feeling that the pale young man was starting to loose his grip on her.  
"I saw it. Your... brother, or whatever he was, the one in prison. He just disappeared in front of me. And then the light, and everything that happened that day."  
"Oh..." Paige stared at him, wordless. Perhaps she should call Leo, so that he could use his dust to make him forget. But that was cruel, she never liked that system, what if she erased more than she wanted to?  
"Oh? Is that all? Paige... I'm sure I saw that, and I started to feel that I was going crazy, because everyone insisted that there was nothing like that. Even Darryl. But then I had the feeling that someone was lying to me. I talked to Darryl..."  
"And?" Paige felt dizzy. Had he betrayed them? What were they gonna do now? Maybe she should be calling Leo right now.  
"And he just told me I should talk to you..." he almost begged.  
Paige reconsidered her thoughts, at the sight of Kyle's begging eyes fixed on her. She turned around to make sure no one heard her. Her sisters would kill her if they knew...  
"Kyle... This is difficult to explain but... What you saw..." she cleared her voice, and took his hand between hers, "let's say it wasn't a dream." She smiled nervously, as Kyle closed his eyes and swallowed. She continued. "Do you remember when you were a child...? You believed in fairies, and ogres, and witches... " Kyle shook his head, amazed. But Paige went on: "All that exist. I'm a witch."  
The man opened his eyes in horror, and flinched back, so Paige took the word again quickly: "A good one. I mean, witches are good too. And I don't have a long nose and I'm not ugly..." She stopped and frowned. "Or am I?" she thought out loud.  
Kyle stared at her in wonder: "No, I... mean, you're beautiful, you're..." He shook his head: "Oh, my God, you must be kidding... a witch!?!?"  
Paige smiled, and nodded, pressing his hand lovingly, and compasively: "Well, as I said, this is a long story, and I can't tell everything right now. But I need you to keep the secret, Kyle. I promise I'll tell you later. But for now, just keep the secret. Darryl is helping us, that's true. He's been a great friend, and he had a really bad time when he discovered too, so he'll understand how you feel now... But..." She smiled, then went on: "I think you know now why we have to keep it in secret."  
He nodded, nervously. "I... I am..." he shook his head. Then he smiled at her, trembling. "I think you should dry your clothes," he said.  
Paige looked at him surprised, then she smiled. "Thanks..." she murmured, blushing.  
"I need to go," he said a little absently.  
"Ok... will you be ok?" she asked.  
He nodded again, standing up. "Yeah... I guess."  
But just at that moment, someone orbed in.

°°°°°°°°°°

Wyatt and Chris stayed for a while looking at the sky, on the bridge. Finally, Chris sighed, and holding Wyatt's arm, he said: "We should go back, or they'll start to worry..."  
Wyatt smiled: "Ok," He said, and orbed with Chris to the lounge in the manor.

_

* * *

(Chapter 3 written by Chrissy.W.x and Belén)_


	4. Chapter 4

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 4**

Harry was a really good student but sometimes he was just like blind. Steve had orbed with him to his home to see what the problem was about. It wasn't an easy potion, but for a student like Harry it shouldn't be such a big thing.  
When they arrived Steve had looked at his work. Everything seemed to be fine, but still the potion didn't work.  
Harry shrugged: "I really have no idea why it isn't working."  
Steve nodded, then he had a look on the incredents. After a few seconds he smiled: "I know where your mistake is."  
Harry rose his eyebrows: "And where."  
"Look," Steve said pointing at one of the bottles.  
"Peacock-tears, like it is told in the recipe," the young half-whitelighter shrugged again.  
Steve nodded: "But read the small letters, too."  
Harry frowned and had a closer look.  
_"distilled - not useful for potions to fly, grow or turn invisible"  
_"Damned," the young half-whitelighter cursed.  
Steve grinned: "Don't worry, something like that happened very often to me... that's human."  
Harry nodded, but he was still angry with himself. "Thanks," he muttered finally.  
Steve shrugged: "No problem, that's my job." He smiled at the young man, remembering himself - he had been like him in a way. Then he added: "Ok, I think I need to go now, I really don't want Nicki to wait for me."  
"Shall I orb you back?" Harry asked.  
Steve shook his head: "No, I want to buy some flowers on my way... So I better go by feet."

°°°°°°°°°°

"Wyatt!" Paige yelled angry.  
Kyle who had stood up, sank back to the sofa much paler then he had been before. 'What the hell was that?'  
Paige went over to the little boy and the crying baby, shaking her head: "What did I tell you about orbing?" The little boy looked to the ground. Paige picked up the baby from the floor and then called for her sisters.  
The same moment Cole returned from the kitchen. When he realised what was going on, he went over and took Wyatt to his arms: "Hey, little worrior, what's wrong?"  
"Chris hungry," the boy muttered, "me, too."  
"Why didn't Miss Leenett give you something to eat?" Paige smiled, seeing how easily Cole talked with the boy. Meanwhile the sisters came down the stairs.  
"Kindergarten has closed," Wyatt answered.  
Paige sighed and looked at her watch realising that it was already seven o'clock in the evening. "Damn it!" she cursed.  
"Not in front of my sons, Paige," Piper said angry and took the baby from her sister.  
Phoebe was looking at Cole. He was really cute with the boy... But when he looked at her, she turned her eyes away. Cole sighed. For a moment they kept silent.  
Kyle still sat on the sofa. He watched the scene with horror. 'What is going on there?' he thought. 'How is that possible?' He was completely confused. He felt panic inside him. He was about to rose again, seeking for a way to leave the house as soon as possible. When again bluish lights appeared.  
"Hey mom," Wyatt greeted.  
"Hey sweetie," Piper answered and pulled her son into a hug, while she held the baby with her other arm.  
"Hey... stop," Wyatt joked, "my little brother needs to breath." Chris chuckled.  
Paige was about to say something, when she remembered... when she remembered that they weren't alone. "Oh-oh," she muttered.  
"What?" Phoebe asked, but at the same time she felt it: fear, confusion, anger, panic, but mostly fear.  
Chris turned around, same as Wyatt. "Shit!" both exclaimed at the same time. And Chris noticed that his brother seemed to know that man, too.  
Piper muttered: "That's not good."  
"Do you have memory-dust?" Phoebe asked her nephew.  
Chris nodded but Paige stepped in front of them: "NO! Not this time!"

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki sat on her desk, uneasy playing with a little pen.  
"He will come," Adam said.  
Nicki glared at him icy. That was non of his business: "You should care about the papers." Adam shrugged.  
Nicki sighed. 'What is he doing?' she thought. 'He already is 30 minutes to late... he never did that before.' Then she looked at the small note again, which she had found on her office-door, after they had returned.  
_"I'm with Harry, he needs some help with his homework. Don't worry, I'll be there in time. Steve"  
_Nicki sighed again. Then she picked up the phone and hit in a number. Impatient she listened to the sound of the ringing. Then someone picked the phone up, on the other end of line.  
"Here Overcreek."  
"Yeah, here's Miss Nicholus... Can you tell me if Professor Moody is there with you? He left me a note, that he wanted to help your son Harry."  
"No," Mr. Overcreek answered, "he had been here, but he left over an hour ago."  
Nicki sighed: "Thanks... and... have a good evening." Then she hang up the phone. There was something wrong. 'Steve wouldn't do that, he would call... unless...' she thought. She shook her head not willing to end this thought.  
Then she turned to Adam: "It's enough for today... please, you can go home." The young man nodded and quickly left the office.  
Nicki sighed again. Then she pulled out a scrying-map and a crystal.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Ok, so you tell us what do we do with him!" Piper exclaimed, pointing at a scared Kyle, who pushed himself instinctively back on the couch. "Because this is not good. Not good at all!"  
Phoebe moved her eyes from one sister to another under the attentive stare of the two young men and Cole.  
Paige shrugged: "I have the feeling that we can handle this without the dust, that's all..."  
Silence.  
Piper sighed: "Ok... Leo!!!!!"  
"No!" Paige grabbed her arm. "Piper, no, please," She was begging right when Leo appeared orbing.  
"Piper, I was busy, I told you that..." He saw Kyle: "H... Hello." He smiled. Then he looked at the sisters, and his sons and future brother in law wonderingly. "You didn't tell me we had guests," he whispered angrily.  
Kyle was even paler now: "Everyone in this family does that? What the hell is... Don't you have a broom or something?"  
Some of the presents chuckled, others frowned, and Paige stuttered, trying to explain herself: "Well, Kyle... not all witches fly with brooms, actually modern witches don't, that's so... medieval."  
"WHAT!!!!!!!" all exclaimed at a time, making Kyle startle and stand up, looking for an exit.  
"Paige, are you out of your mind?" Piper cried. "With all which is happening now, the thing we less need is THIS!" She pointed at Kyle. "What about keeping the secret and all?? Our life depends on it!" She had never been so angry.  
"Ok..." Cole finally said, feeling out of place. The kids were starting to freak out. "I'll take the children with me." He glanced at Phoebe out of the corner of his eyes. "I... I'll take care of them while you..." He turned to look at a petrified Kyle. "...solve this inconvenience." While he talked he took Wyatt's little hand and asked Piper to give him Chris. Then he left the lounge and went to the kitchen to give Wyatt something to eat.  
"Look at that, brother..." Wyatt whispered grinning, staring at Cole's movements.  
Chris nodded with the same expression on his face, but then he turned to Wyatt and chuckled. "Hey, Wyatt, don't drool, it's disgusting," he whispered back. Both of them started to laugh.  
"You too, young men, shut up! This is not a moment for laughs and jokes!" Piper yelled, as Leo gave them a warning glare.  
The two brothers turned serious and clenched their jaw, not leaving any word else out.  
"Ok, Piper, I have an explanation for this. He already knew, he saw us..."  
"Leo, the memory-dust, NOW!" Piper said, ignoring her sister, who stood up in front of the scared man.  
Leo looked at them hesitantly, but then Phoebe took her sister's hand. "Hey, sweetie..." she said. "Let's hear the explanation first..." Piper stared at her furious, as Paige nodded.  
"Actually... if I may..." Wyatt intervened looking at Kyle out of the corner of his eyes, "I don't think it's a good idea to use it on him."  
"What do you...?" Piper started, then she frowned. "Future stuff?"  
Wyatt shrugged, ashamed, but Chris took his arm: "Ok, brother, you and I should go somewhere else." And he added in a low voice: "Before you let out all the future history." And then turned to his parents and the rest of people in the lounge: "And you… I'm sure you can handle this without using the dust..." He shrugged this time. "If he said so, there must be some reason," he added meaning Wyatt's advice. Then they two orbed away.  
"Do you wanna stop doing that!!??" Piper exclaimed, but they were already gone. "Damn it!" Then she turned to Kyle, stared at him, and then she sighed.  
Leo put a hand on her shoulder: "Ok, let's see what is going on… Paige?"  
All the heads turned to her and the officer, who swallowed.

°°°°°°°°°°

When Steve opened his eyes everything around him was dark. He could hardly remember what had happened. He was on his way to buy some flowers when someone hit him on his head. The last thing he remembered was that he crashed to the street before he passed out.  
"Great," he mumbled. He wanted to stand up, but then he realised that he was chained.  
He shook his head: "Nicki will kill me."

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki kept waiting for an hour in the school. The scrying map didn't work, at least she thought so, because it showed her that he was in the main street. But could that be that Steve was just having some drink in one of the pubs? Then she sighed, closed her books with a big thud, and left her office.  
"He will listen to me..." she mumbled as she walked fast through the corridors.  
Suddenly she almost crashed against a breathless Tom and Veronica. "What the hell…?"  
"Nicki! Thanks God..." They were pale. "Have you seen Chris and Wyatt? The little ones..." Tom asked, nervously.  
The girl raised an eyebrow: "Why do you ask? Something happened?"  
Tom and Veronica exchanged worried looks. "Well... They were supposed to be here... And we... well, we told Paige we would take care of them. But we..." Veronica took the word, looking at Tom and then at Nicki, "we got distracted... if you know what I mean." Nicki frowned.  
"Yeah, we... left the kindergarten for five minutes. Well, supposedly. But it took us..."  
"An hour," Veronica finished.  
Tom nodded nervously: "Yeah. One hour. It seemed so short..." Both of them blushed.  
"TOM!!!" Nicki exclaimed, horrified, "You lost our head master and his brother!!! Did you lose all your marbles??? And what about you, Veronica??? Is this contagious???" Then she took air, and shook her head: "They will probably be at home. We can phone. YOU can phone. And be prepared for the yells."  
Then, Nicki took out her cell phone and dialled the Charmed Ones number before giving it to her friends: "You can keep it, and shimmer it to my home later. Please, if Steve calls, tell him I don't wanna see him today."  
Then she left, leaving Tom and Veronica alone in the school with the cell phone about to let out Phoebe's voice.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris orbed him and Wyatt to his apartment at the school. The second they entered they realised that Bianca was sleeping. Quietly Chris closed the door to the bedroom. Then he turned to his brother again. "Do you like something to drink?" he asked.  
Wyatt nodded and sat down. Chris went to the small kitchen and grasped some coke. Then he went back to his living room and sat down next to his brother.  
"So... what is it about that officer?" he asked.  
Wyatt grinned. "I can't tell you," he said, but it was already to late.  
Chris had sensed some of his emotions: "What? He and Paige???"  
Wyatt grinned even more: "Oh yeah..." Chris began to laugh. That was really funny. "But don't tell them," Wyatt pleaded, "you know... that could change everything!"  
Chris nodded: "Don't worry, I know about the possible consequences... Remember? I lived that..."  
Wyatt just nodded understanding. For a moment they kept silence. Both of them staring just into the nothing, hanging on their own thoughts.  
Then Wyatt turned to his brother again: "How was it?"  
"What?" the Elder-witch asked.  
"How was it, when they found out? I mean, that you're their son..."  
Chris sighed. That was really difficult to tell. He really never thought about all that... No, of course he did think about it, but never about 'how it was'... "Well..." he said, "it was... crazy... When they found out, we had been kind of busy with... something... a lot of trouble... So it was kind of weird, you know?" Wyatt nodded.  
"First it was really difficult. Before they knew the truth, they really hate me, and..."  
"What? No, I can't believe that..." Wyatt interrupted him.  
"Believe me, they did... I mean, at least I was the reason for mom and dad to split up for a while." Wyatt just shook his head.  
But Chris went on: "But then, when they knew, they really cared about me... and at first that was even harder for me to bear. I mean... I was on my own since I was 15... and now they all wanted to care about me, to protect me... that was just a little to much."  
Wyatt grinned: "Yeah maybe... but luckily you got used to it."  
"Yeah, I did," Chris answered grinning. But then he turned serious again: "In that case, I think it was a good thing, that they went into my head and saw the memories I have form my future... They know... They know what had happened... This way I never had to explain things. They just know why I was acting the way I did."  
Wyatt nodded again and put his arm around his brother. Chris sighed and put his head on his shoulder and whispered: "It's good to have you here..."  
Wyatt hugged him: "It's good to be here with you... Man you can't imagine how much that means to me..."  
Chris rose his head again and looked at his brother frowning: "Huh?"  
Wyatt laughed: "Hey man... you saved me, remember... And even if my little version don't know that yet, I do... And I'm endlessly thankful for that."  
Chris shook his head: "You're welcome." Both men started to laugh about that comment.  
"So..." Chris went on after a while, "you said you're used to sleep on my sofa?"  
Wyatt nodded: "Yeah, everytime I had trouble with mom... everytime I had broken something while training my magic... I used to hide here till the storm was over."  
Chris smiled happily: "Seems I will go on saving you a little longer, huh?"  
Wyatt laughed: "Yeah man... absolutely!"

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve had been in a weird position on the floor for a couple of hours, and all his body started to ache and get cramps. No one had come to see him since he had awakened, so he had been writhing and fighting to get free from the chains. But this only gave him more pain, so he was starting to panic now. He thought he would get used to the darkness but the blackness was such that he couldn't see anything at all.  
Then, he thought he could try and contact Tom telepathically. He closed his eyes and focused despite the pain, and the headache that started to hit him.  
But suddenly, a voice froze him: "Don't try. He won't hear you. No one can hear you where you are. Actually, they will think you're having fun somewhere else. So, please relax..."  
"Who are you? What do you want?" he asked, trying to keep his voice straight.  
"None of your business."  
"How… how can they be thinking that I'm somewhere else? They'll find me..."  
"No they won't" the voice answered despitefully. Steve wanted to see his face but he couldn't. The darkness was so deep. "We took your blood to confuse them. They won't come. Relax."  
Steve frowned... His blood?? Then he understood why he felt that pain in his hand's palm. He had a deep cut on it. "Why… why are you doing this?" he asked again.  
But there was no answer. The person that had talked to him, was left, and he was alone again.

°°°°°°°°°°

"How is everything going on?" the young man asked.  
The old one smiled: "It all works as it should be... everything is going exactly the way I had foreseen it."  
"And the teacher?" the young one asked.  
"That's not your business."  
"Will you hurt him?"  
The old one smirked: "Only a little... as long as he cooperates. Else..."  
The young man sighed quietly. He never wanted the teacher to get hurt. But now it was to late, he couldn't turn back. "So what are your next orders?"  
The old man began to laugh. Then he waved his hand: "Follow me!"

°°°°°°°°°°

While Phoebe walked over to the telephone, Paige took Kyle's hand and pressed it gently. "Don't worry," she whispered to him, making him relax a little bit... only a very little bit.  
"Paige?" Leo asked, glancing at her.  
She sighed: "We can't just erase all his memories... There are to much... he saw Chris disappear from jail one month ago... If you wanted to do that, you should have done it that time, not now... it's just too late Leo," Paige explained her opinion.  
"But why didn't you tell us?" Piper asked now a lot calmer.  
Paige closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to lose her temper: "Because I also didn't know... But remember? Chris said we should be careful about him, and Darryl told us, that he saw too much... but someone here seems to have forgotten about that?"  
Leo sighed, he remembered Darryl's words. He had wanted to check that, but then there was that problem with one of the other Elders and... yeah, he had simply forgotten it. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "it was my fault."  
"And now?" Piper asked.  
Kyle rose from the sofa, still looking confused and even shocked. "Well I think I should just go now and..."  
Paige grasped his arm and pulled him back to the sofa: "No... I think we need to explain some things first."  
"But I really don't want to know all that... ok?" Kyle nearly yelled. He was afraid, he was scared to death by those people. That was all to much for him. He just wanted to run away from all that.  
"Kyle..." Paige begged, caressing his hand.  
"No... I already know too much... I don't want to know that you're a witch, I don't want to know that you beam like in StarTrek, I don't want to know that these babies do that too... and also the others ones, who the fuck they are... I just don't want to know that!"  
Piper caressed the back of her husband, while Leo looked to the ground feeling really guilty. This time he had cursed the trouble, a lot of trouble.  
But before he could lost himself in his thoughts a demon shimmered in, a really ugly one. And he immediately attacked Piper and Leo with a fireball.  
"Get him out of here!" the oldest sister yelled!  
Paige reacted as fast as possible. She grasped the hand of the paralysed Kyle tightly and orbed with him away. A second later a fireball hit the now empty sofa.  
The demon swore, but in the next second Piper blew him up.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris pulled the curtain aside. Smiling he faced his evil grinning counterpart.  
"How are you?" he asked.  
Chris rose his eyebrows: "Same as you. - Did you also told Wyatt that you need to do some school-stuff?  
"So your brother is also there... I should have known that."  
Our Chris just nodded. He really loved those pointless discussions. He had missed that.  
"Didn't have seen you for a while," he said.  
The evil Chris shrugged: "You know... there is Bianca, and me... and... well I met a guy named..."  
"Don't tell me you have also a Mike in your world..." Chris said smiling.  
The evil Chris nodded energetically, making his long hair dance around his face.  
"I should have known that," Chris replied laughing. But then he turned serious: "What about your Bianca, is she fine?"  
The evil Chris shrugged again: "Don't know... She says 'yes', but..."  
Chris nodded: "Yeah... But my Wyatt told me that she will be fine in the future."  
"Yeah, mine told me the same," the other one answered.  
At that moment bluish orbing lights filled the office on Chris side of the mirror, and there where black ones on the other side.  
"Shit!" both Chrises exclaimed, more referred to the new person in the mirror, then to their own.  
"Can you tell me what the hell you are doing here? What is this?" both Wyatt's yelled.  
The Chrises turned around: "What are you doing here, I..."  
"Do you really think I believed your story... no man, not when you block me out!" both Wyatt's replied. Then they faced each other: "Who is that?"  
Evil Chris grinned weakly at our Chris: "We just should have exchange them, that would have been much easier then risking our lives."  
Our Chris nodded. The Wyatt from the evil world looked exactly like the one from his own time, the one he had changed.  
The Wyatts glanced at each other with distrust. Then our Wyatt turned to his little brother: "How can you do that? Do you know how much trouble you risk?"  
Both Chrises rolled with their eyes. "Actually we do!" the evil one answered angry. "Even if we drank a potion which stopped that remembering thing... every nightmare we already had is still burned into our souls... So yes, we know it." Or Chris just nodded.  
Our Wyatt shook his head. Then he closed the curtain and sighed: "We should go to bed now, we can talk about that tomorrow." Without any other word he left the room by feet.  
Chris followed him with the feeling that he had disappoint his big brother. And that feeling was really a bad one.

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige had orbed to the P3. It was closed, because there were some renovatings.  
As soon as they materialised the young officer broke down.  
"Kyle!" Paige exclaimed. She rushed to feel his pulse. It was fast, but consistent.  
"I think the orbing was a little to much for you," she muttered. Then she looked around.  
'There is still the sofa Chris slept on,' she thought. She went to the back-room and cleared the space. Then she returned to the still unconscious Kyle and orbed him to the sofa. She sat down next to him and caressed his hair. "I'm so sorry," she muttered.  
At that moment Leo orbed in. "Are you ok? he asked.  
Paige nodded: "I think it was just all a little too much for him." Leo checked him, then he agreed.  
The witch-whitelighter sighed: "I'll stay here. You should go back to your family. I'll take care of him."  
Leo nodded: "But call me if a demon should attack."  
Paige nodded: "Good night."  
The Elder smiled. "Good night," he said too and orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

The rest of the day... that is, the night, passed quietly, giving place to a new one. No more demons, no more worries in the family...  
Bianca had a good night too. But Chris and Wyatt did not speak much. They only said good night when they went to bed and sofa respectively.  
Chris felt embarrassed. He was used to have secrets for everyone in his family. That was the way he worked, that was the way he got to save his brother, too. Maybe it was a wrong way, but it was his. However, after everything was finished, when he had to stay in the past, he resolved not to hide things from his family anymore. It was hard, he needed to have his intimacy, and he kept the secret of the mirror world, but as for the rest, he was somehow able to get used to share it with them. And it had worked all the way until that moment.  
But Wyatt... He was another thing. He thought that probably his little self would never hide things to this awesome brother of him, but his brother, adult Chris's brother, was not this one. He had had lots of secrets from his Wyatt, from the evil Wyatt. He could not just receive him in the past and tell him everything at once. He did not know him... He did not know this Wyatt that much... At least the adult one. Here he - Chris - was the older brother. Chris was thinking about it as he lay by a sleeping Bianca in the bed.  
Wyatt was on the sofa, apparently sleeping too. But only apparently. He had closed his eyes, and tears fought to get out, but he wouldn't let his brother see it. He loved this Chris so much, this adult Chris, his second father in the future. But he had always had a pain in his heart, and it was that this Chris never had him. He never had an older brother to take care of him... And it was all his fault.  
Chris would have never told him that, as he didn't tell him many things, but ok, he was older than him in his future. His relationship with his younger version was so much better, almost perfect. As perfect as a brotherly relationship can be. And he had the feeling that the adult Chris sometimes was... jealous. He wouldn't tell him but they had that connection. It wasn't a bad jealousy, but a sad one. Just something like he missed an older brother, and he could do nothing for him.  
Finally, Wyatt fell asleep thinking that perhaps, he wasn't there to help with real demons. Maybe Chris had called him from the past to fight some interior demons they both may had.

_

* * *

(Chapter 4 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x) _


	5. Chapter 5

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 5**

"Time to get up, brother," a very well-known voice for Wyatt said. He opened his eyes slowly, wearily to face the person who was awakening him, and almost jumped out of surprise when he saw the young Chris by him. Then he remembered, and blushed.  
"I'm sorry, Chris... I forgot I had come to the past." He raised his eyes towards Chris as he got up and put his shoes on: "For a moment I thought it was... it was you, but the other 'you', my 'you'." He smiled: "I thought I was younger, and that I was sleeping on your sofa as I used to do when I was a child. Only that I expected to find an older version of you."  
Chris raised an eyebrow and then sighed: "Ok, Wyatt... Doesn't matter." He seemed to be somehow upset. Was he angry at him? No, actually he had the same expression that his younger version had when he told him off for something: He was ashamed of himself. Wyatt felt so bad...  
"Breakfast is ready. Bianca didn't want to stay in bed, so you can join us in the kitchen. If you like."  
Wyatt nodded at his serious brother, and Chris left him alone, so that he could get dressed.  
Chris had never felt so bad. He shouldn't have hidden that from his brother. Not to this one, the adult one. From his expression, it was as if Wyatt had no idea about the mirror, so that meant that he would never tell him in the future. He should fix that this time... Or was it another thing, what he saw on his face? Fear?? Did he know about it after all?? Maybe he knew and he had also his secrets... But he didn't have time to think more about it.  
"Are you ok, sweetie?" a pale Bianca asked.  
Chris nodded and smiled. Then he frowned: "You're not eating."  
"I'm not hungry..." she paused, "I'm ok, Chris... Trust me. I'm just not hungry..."  
Chris nodded, and at that moment Wyatt appeared and went to Bianca to say hello to her.  
"I'm sorry I occupied your room tonight," he apologised, while hugging her.  
Bianca smiled weakly: "It was funny to have you here... Maybe Chris and I should take into consideration the idea of bringing your little self to sleep with us from time to time."  
Wyatt chuckled: "Oh, you will, believe me..." He looked at Chris out of the corner of his eye. He was smiling.  
"And? What are you gonna do today?" Bianca asked while she gave Wyatt some pancakes.  
"I promised Chris to help him a little, cleaning some of the old and not used offices," Wyatt said dryly.  
"Oh," Bianca muttered surprised and then add: "Don't you think it would be better when you just have fun...?"  
Chris looked at his wife, and then at his brother. He didn't know what to say - that was definitely not his idea... and he felt it would be better to let Wyatt talk.  
"Be sure Bianca, I can't think of anything better then to have a look on old magical stuff... That can be very interesting, you never know what you can find..."  
Bianca grinned understanding.

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole woke up on the sofa in the lounge, all his body aching, when Piper and Leo entered talking lively.  
"Oh, my..." she stopped like frozen and looked at Leo, blushing, "sorry, Cole, I… We didn't know you were here."  
"Are you ok, man?" Leo asked, surprised to see him there.  
Cole groaned and nodded: "Maybe we should buy a new sofa..." Then he smiled sadly: "It will be ok... Everyone has little... obstacles in their lives." Then he left for the kitchen, to get some breakfast.  
Leo and Piper looked at each other, speechless. Had they fought, Phoebe and Cole? At that moment Phoebe came downstairs too.  
"Is Paige at home?" she asked surprised that her sister wasn't up yet. Leo and Piper shook their heads, silently. Then Leo said: "I'm sure she stayed with Kyle... He needed some talk."  
Phoebe nodded. "I'm gonna have some breakfast."

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve was still lying on the floor. He had had the worst night ever, even if he didn't know it had been a whole night. He didn't feel his feet and arms, and he had ceased to try to escape, because he had now wounds in his wrists and ankles. Some demon had came an endless time ago, he had beaten him. But then he left...And no one had appeared again. This gave him time to cry a little bit and feel scared, miserable, angry and hopeful at times. He had even fallen asleep intermittently, and had felt a hand raising his head and a voice saying:  
"You have to cooperate, you won't be hurt if you do, please..." Then someone poured a little water in his mouth, half of which went to his clothes and the ground. Then he passed out.  
But now it was cold and his wet clothes kept him shivering, so he was in that state in which you are not sleeping nor awoken. Suddenly a hand grabbed his arm, and freed him from the chains, but gave him no chance to escape.  
"Time for you, man."

°°°°°°°°°°

Kyle felt still a little dizzy when he woke up. He didn't know how late it was, he didn't know where he was... Slowly he looked around. Then he noticed someone lying next to him. "Paige?" he whispered confused. But then the memories of the last evening hit him like a truck. Afraid he jumped up, nearly kicking Paige down from the sofa.  
"What the hell..." she mumbled and rose too. Then she looked at the man with an understanding smile. "Good morning," she said friendly.  
Kyle stepped backwards till the corner of the room stopped him. "What... what am I doing here?" he asked still panicking.  
Paige sighed: "You're at the P3... You broke down yesterday after I brought you here so I thought a little rest would help you..."  
"You brought me...?" Kyle suddenly remembered the monster. 'God what an ugly creature...' And then, that blue light and... he had felt like flying, like riding a rollercoaster, like... "What have you done to me?????"  
"I've saved you... from that demon... I'm sorry that I hadn't the time to ask for your permission..." she made a short break looking at him, then she said: "Won't you sit down again... I'm not biting, I promise."  
For a moment the man kept standing in the corner, unsure what to do.  
"Kyle... You told me that you've read a lot about witches... witches from the past... So why are you afraid now?"  
The young man took a deep breath... She was right. He had read a lot, and most of the books described the witches as people who just wanted to help - to heal for example... But he never believed that it could be real...  
"I promise I will not hurt you... Come on... trust me..." Paige went on.  
Kyle sighed, then he went slowly over to her and sat down. "Ok... I'm listening..."

°°°°°°°°°°

A little later both brothers went side by side down the large hallway of the school. No one said a word for a long time.  
"I'm sorry," Chris muttered finally.  
Wyatt stopped and looked at him: "Why?"  
"Cause... I didn't tell you..." his brother said and looked down feeling really guilty. "I should have..."  
"No... I AM sorry Chris," Wyatt answered.  
The Elder-witch looked up to his brother's watery eyes. "What? Are you kidding? Why should you feel sorry? You..."  
But Wyatt interrupted him: "Because I'm not there for you..."  
Chris just looked at his brother with wide opened eyes. Then he shook his head: "That's bullshit, Wyatt!"  
"No it isn't... I always had you, you're my best friend, you're my hero... You where always there for me when I needed you... But me... I'm only a little child for you... me, the one who is supposed to be your big brother... and all that is only my fault..."  
Chris just listened to his brothers words, not believing what he heard. "Wyatt that isn't true," he said with a serious voice, "I had a big brother... He was a freak, he was horrible, he was evil! And I went back to stop that from happening... And that's what I did... and that has nothing to do with you!"  
"But... If I would be there you maybe wouldn't need..." Wyatt couldn't end this sentence. His voice just broke.  
Chris understood him anyway: "I'm not using that mirror because I don't have you... it's just... all those timetravel stuff... no one else understands it..."  
"But... if I would be there, maybe..." Wyatt looked down. Suddenly he wasn't able to stand Chris look.  
"Wyatt... I never had a big brother who cared for me... actually MY big brother was the complete opposite... And I really love to have your little version around... I enjoy it to be connected to such a sweet childish mind. Well, except I have exams to correct... And if you use our connection now, you know that that my words are the truth! I never had a real big brother... And now I'm really happy that I have two little brothers instead." Chris said these words the same second he realised that it really was like that... He tried to look into his brothers eyes, but he kept looking to the ground. Then he nodded weakly.  
"Oh... Come on, little stupid boy," Chris said teasing and pulled his brother into a hug. "Promise me to never think like that again, alright."  
Wyatt nodded: "If you promise me to be careful, with that mirror."  
Chris nodded: "I swear, I will..."  
For a moment they kept hugging, then Chris freed himself and looked at his brother frowning: "Wait... I'm your HERO????"

°°°°°°°°°°

It was already lunchtime when Phoebe entered the kitchen again. Cole was standing there, cooking. She wasn't very pleased to meet him again at this place. There unplanned meeting in the morning had been enough for her liking. Nevertheless she couldn't stand this any longer.  
"What are you doing?" she asked. Those were the first words she said to him since the last afternoon.  
"Pasta, for Wyatt," he answered.  
Phoebe didn't answer. She just went over to the sideboard and grasped an apple. Then she went back to the door again.  
Short before she reached it Cole said: "Don't you think we should talk?"  
The empath stopped and turned around slowly: "About what?"  
Cole sighed: "About the reason why we don't talk and why I had to sleep on the sofa while you had bolted me out." Phoebe narrowed her eyes, but kept silent.  
Cole went over to her and took her hand into his. She didn't pulled back. 'That's a start,' he thought. Then he said: "I'm sorry... maybe I should have told you what I knew... but... I promised it."  
"You didn't trust me, Cole," she answered with a bitter voice.  
Cole sighed: "No, honey, that's not true... I mean... would I have told you that I turned to be a witch, if I wouldn't trust you?" Phoebe frowned.  
"What if Chris had told you who he is, before you found out on your own? What if he asked you to keep that secret, would you have told it to Piper, or would you not?"  
"He's my nephew, not my worst enemy," Phoebe replied.  
Cole closed his eyes for a moment: "But you thought he was, didn't you? And... In a way, Belthazor's my family... He isn't someone I want to have around all the time, surly not, but... he was me for a very long time."  
Phoebe looked away, thinking about his words. He already had told her yesterday that he felt like that about his ex-other-half... and she thought it was understandable. "But still you should have told me..."  
"Why? Just to make you worry?" Cole asked. "Honey I love you... more than I thought I would ever be able to... And when you asked me, I told you all I know, didn't I... I did that because I do trust you! I never wanted to hurt you. I ... I'm sorry..."  
Phoebe looked up. 'Have I been too hard? Should I have thought a little more about all that?' she thought. She tried to look into Cole's eyes, but he just looked down. He was so afraid of losing her... afraid of losing their future.  
But suddenly he felt her arms around him and then she laid her head on his chest.  
Cole just hugged her back. He wanted to say something. But he didn't know what, so he kept silent. He just hugged her full of love, thankful that she gave him a second chance.  
But then Phoebe pulled back again. She frowned and sniffled: "It's smelled like something is burned..."  
"A demon?" Cole asked.  
Phoebe just shrugged.  
But then Cole turned around and yelled: "Oh shit!!! The pasta!!!"

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki had woken up that morning with a real bad feeling. She had gone to bed very angry. She could not believe that Steve had done that to her. He had just forgotten that they had a date... and he had gone to the main street! At first she thought that he might have gone there to buy her a good present or something. She would forgive him. She would be hard at first, but after his first apologies she would kiss him lovingly... However, the night came and he didn't even phone. Was he just having fun? So he had forgotten...  
Nicki tried to phone him again when Tom brought the cell phone back, but he would not pick it up. She went to his apartment and knocked on the door. No one opened. Then she went to his family's house, and no one knew anything. She scryed again... and saw that he was still in the pubs.  
Nicki cried in frustration, and kicked a wall. That couldn't be true!! But she was so furious that she wouldn't bother to think that something bad could have happened. She just went to bed... and the night brought her some bad dreams and feelings.  
That was why she had awoken a little bit distressed. She dressed up and went to Tom's house.  
"Hey..." a sleepy Tom said when he opened the door.  
"Good morning, Tom..." she looked over his shoulder. Veronica was there too, having breakfast. "Is Steve with you?"  
Tom frowned and turned to Veronica, who shrugged. Then he looked back at Nicki: "Haven't you found him yet? Didn't he go back home?"  
Nicki sighed and shook her head: "No, he didn't. I thought that maybe you met him somewhere, in some pub or something. The scrying only says he's there..."  
Veronica stood up and approached them with a concerned look in her eyes: "Why didn't you just go and see?"  
Nicki blushed. "I was so angry at him..."  
"Come in, Nicki..." Tom said, letting her in.  
She nodded and sat down by Veronica.  
"Who was the last one who saw him?" Tom asked, while he prepared a cup of tea for her.  
"Harry, the student he was helping... His father told me he had left an hour before I phoned, and that had been yesterday in the late afternoon... I am afraid that something bad happened to him..." she said, almost beggingly.  
Tom shook his head: "He would have contacted me, Nicki. Anyway..." He closed his eyes and focused on his friend. After a while, he opened them, and his look was a worried one: "I can't even read his thoughts... That's weird. As if he is blocking me."  
"Why would he do that?" Veronica asked.  
"I don't know... I don't even know how to do it to be honest." Tom muttered, pensive. "Nicki, when did you scry the last time?"  
"This morning. Before coming. And he was in the pubs."  
"Don't you think that's weird?" Veronica said.  
"That's why I came..." she sighed, almost crying.  
"Ok..." Tom said in a resolute tone. "Give me your hand, we'll go there and check it out now."  
Nicki and Veronica took his hands and they shimmered to a narrow street near the point where Nicki had found him by scrying.

°°°°°°°°°°

"I never believed that there could be so much weird stuff around here..." Chris said while putting a really ugly looking lamp into the trash-box. He had even never belied that his brother really meant what he had said after breakfast... about cleaning one of the old offices. Chris had thought he just wanted to talk in private. But after they had talked, Wyatt had pulled him to that room, which was owned by someone called 'Abyfylles' - one of those Elders who died by the Titans. Then his big brother had summoned five boxes, four for the trash and one for useful things. First Chris had thought his brother was crazy, but no... he was right... It was really funny to look through that stuff...  
"Wow... what's that?" Wyatt asked surprised. He had pulled out an old book, bound in leather and with golden letters.  
Chris went over to him and read the title.  
_"The Secrets Of Timetravelling"_  
"Hmm... Who's the author?" Chris asked. Wyatt opened the book and when he read the authors name his eyes grew wide.  
_"Hope P. Halliwell"  
_"WHAT?" Chris exclaimed and took the book from his brothers hands. There was also an inscription.  
_"Hey Dad. I know you will find this book one day... in MY past... Don't worry, you can read it. There is nothing about the future in it! Always love you... HOPE"_  
The Elder-witch looked at the text like frozen in shock. Wyatt took the book again.  
_"Printed in 2078"  
_"Unbelievable," he said smiling, "That's definitely something for the useful-box!"  
Chris took the book again. He moved his fingers shivering over the beautiful handwriting, like if he could touch his daughter with this. Then he smiled proudly.

°°°°°°°°°°

Kyle had listened to Paige's words attentively. She had told him about her sisters, about that she herself was only half a witch and half 'whatever-she-had-called-it', and that this Chris, he met, was from another time, and that he was in a way the same person like that 4-weeks-old baby. And she had told him, about the meaning of that light he saw, which made him shiver. And she had told him about the latest attacks by those demons, like the one from yesterday evening. All the time he had just listened, he didn't say a word... just listened and trying to understand.  
"Kyle, I know this is a lot to understand... but I need you to promise me, to keep that secret..." Paige said finally. "Our lives depend on that... and in a way also yours..." Kyle shivered again. That was all too much.  
Paige sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry that you've seen all this. I wish I could..."  
"No..." Kyle said suddenly, "It's ok... it isn't your fault."  
Paige smiled at him: "I know... but I wish I could turn back time and change this..."  
"No..." he said again, shaking his head, "It's ok..." Then he turned his head to her and took her hand: "Thanks for telling me the truth... and... thanks for saving me."  
The witch shrugged: "That's my job."  
For a moment no one said a word. They just sat there holding hands and looking at each other.  
Paige felt really sorry. She liked that young officer and she really wished that he wouldn't know... She knew how hard her life was, and how hard it for Darryl and Sheila was to know all that stuff... or for Michael... She wished she hadn't to trouble him with that.  
Kyle felt still a little dizzy. All this was so unbelievable... But he knew it was true. He knew it, he saw it... he thought it was amazing how much weight the sisters have to carry. And he felt that he had to help them, even if he still didn't understand all that.  
"Your secret is save with me," he said finally.  
Paige smiled: "Thank you."

°°°°°°°°°°

When Paige orbed to the manor, Cole was sitting on the sofa feeding Wyatt, while Piper sat next to him breast-feeding baby Chris.  
"What took you so long?" she asked her youngest sister.  
Paige sighed: "I had to bring Kyle home, first..."  
"How is he?" Cole asked.  
"Fine, I think..." She looked around, noticing that the living room was a whole mess...  
But before she could ask, Chris and Wyatt orbed in. "Wow, what happened here?" the latter asked.  
"Demon!" Phoebe simply said entering the room with a broom in her hands.  
"Don't worry," Piper added, when she saw three worried faces, "the usual stuff... How is Bianca?"  
While the others were still frowning, Chris's huge smile returned: "Fine... she's sleeping again... You will never believe what we've found." He went over to his mother and uncle and showed them the book.  
"Oh my God," Piper whispered. Also Phoebe and Paige went over to have a look.  
Cole took the book and read the inscription. Then he smiled: "Your daughter is really cute..." he handed the book back to Chris, but then he frowned: "What's the 'P' for?"  
Chris shrugged: "No idea." The other began to laugh. "What?" Chris asked shrugging. "We never talked about a second name." But then he laughed too.  
A few moments later, Piper stood up and handed little-Chris over to Chris. "Take care for him a while, ok? Me, Phoebe and Paige need to check the book again."  
Chris nodded and his mother went up the stairs. Paige followed her.  
Phoebe looked at the Elder-witch with narrowed eyes. Then she took the broom and hit with it Chris's butt. "Outch!" Chris said surprised, while Wyatt couldn't help chuckling. Then Phoebe followed her sisters without any other word.  
Chris turned to Cole: "What was that for?"  
His uncle, who was still trying to feed Wyatt with the slightly burned pasta, just shrugged: "She knows."  
"What?" Chris asked. "What does she know?"  
Wyatt looked from one to another. Then he sighed: "Belthazor?"  
The other two looked at the blonde man surprised. Cole nodded.

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki, Tom and Veronica had been walking through the streets for at least two hours. They had been in the pub, the scrying-crystal had shown them, but Steve wasn't there. Then they started to walk around. He had to be somewhere near.  
"I'm getting hungry," Tom said after a while.  
Veronica looked at him smiling: "Me too."  
"Oh, come on, guys... just a few more minutes... he has to be somewhere in that area," Nicki begged. Her friends knew how worried Nicki was, so they agreed.  
They kept on walking, but suddenly Tom stopped.  
"What?" the women asked at the same time.  
"It's weird... I start to feel him, like he's..." he didn't know hot to explain it, "like when we..."  
"Where is he!" Nicki yelled. She didn't want any explanation, she wanted Steve.  
Tom nodded and led her into a sideway. There was nothing to see.  
"Are you sure..." Nicki said but shut up when she saw Toms gaze.  
Then they suddenly heard a noise, a moaning. They all turned around to find a body lying partly hidden behind some trashcans.  
"Oh God!" Nicki muttered and rushed over to him. Steve laid there, curled like a little child, holding his head. His shirt was ripped and he had lots of scratches and wounds on his wrists, and also on his body. And a deep cut on his hand.  
"Oh my God," Nicki muttered again. She knelt down next to him when he slowly opened his eyes.  
"Nicki?" he asked confused.  
"I'm here, honey," she whispered softly.  
"What happened?" Tom asked.  
Steve looked at his friends frowning, then he whispered: "I don't know."

* * *

_(Chapter 5 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x) _


	6. Chapter 6

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 6**

Leo was in a meeting with the other Elders. He had been there for the whole morning, even if he hadn't told his family about it, since it had been urgently arranged. All he could do was leaving a short message on the kitchen table.  
"We should have let Chris know..." one of them said.  
Leo shook his head: "No, he's... he needs some days off, you know. His wife needs him at the moment... That's why I'm here... And we agreed that we would share this job, we do not need to come always to the meetings together." Leo wouldn't have said that Chris wanted and deserved to be with his brother, because they didn't know about it. But he was not gonna call Chris and spoil the time he had to share with Wyatt.  
The Elders shrugged and sighed, some groaned, but they didn't insist, and the meeting started:  
"It is about the Underworld," one said.  
Odin nodded: "It's too quiet... And that's what worries us." He looked straight to Leo. "It seems they're just behaving in their normal way, keeping the balance with us, but... we have the feeling that something's going on."  
"And that's also why we wanted Chris here..." Silas said this time.  
Leo frowned. "What does he have to do with it?" he asked, annoyed.  
Another Elder sighed: "Leo... It's about your family, not him. But he belongs to the Halliwells and something's wrong... Nothing down there, but you're having all those attacks... Maybe you and he know something and can help."  
Leo shook his head: "My son knows the same things as I know, we talk all the time. And if we knew something, we would not be so worried about those attacks, probably we wouldn't have more attacks!"  
"We just needed to check it up, Leo... You know, there's always calm before a storm. And we have the feeling that there will be a storm very soon..."

°°°°°°°°°°

"So you do not remember anything?" John asked in a kind soft tone while he healed Steve's wounds. The boy was sitting in the infirmary in the magic school, wrapped up in blankets and still shaking.  
Steve shook his head, and cringed a little bit.  
Nicki hadn't let go his hand from the very moment they found him, and stayed by his side now, caressing his wounded and now healed hand tenderly. Veronica and Tom were a bit away from them, looking at their friend impressed and worried.  
"It's ok, Stevie..." Nicki said softly, caressing his cheek.  
The whitelighter nodded, stroking his hair: "It's the shock. He might remember later..." He stood up and looked at the responsive three witches there: "I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier... All the Elders are in a meeting... a frightening tension has taken over the place up there... There is something going on, but I don't know what exactly..." He turned to Steve, who kept his eyes fixed in the nothing: "He'll be ok... I hope."  
"But I don't understand..." Nicki moaned whined, "he was fine yesterday, he was with this kid, Harry, helping him... and then he just disappeared! And now he can't remembered, but he's covered with wounds and scratches and it seems he was chained or something. How can't he remember?"  
Veronica looked at Tom, not knowing what to say to comfort her friend, and Tom kept staring at Steve.  
John shook his head, and was about to say something, when Steve opened his eyes widely, and shook more violently. He pressed Nicki's hand, even hurting her.  
"DEMON!!!" he exclaimed.  
All the heads turned in the direction he was looking at, but there was nothing there. However, Steve kept on crying that word, and getting very nervous, at the verge of a nervous attack.

°°°°°°°°°°

Piper flipped once again through the pages of the book, sighing desperately. Nothing was there to find.  
"This is useless, girls. Whatever we're looking for, it's not here." Paige said.  
"Well, Wyatt is here for some reason, and we're having those demonic attacks, and... there must be something somewhere, Gosh!" Phoebe exclaimed.  
Piper raised her hands in resignation, and said: "Well, I quit. I don't know what to look for. This is just crazy..."  
"DEMON!!! "  
Suddenly, an energy ball passed over their heads, but they just ducked on time. Piper blew him up immediately, and then they looked at each other: "Have you heard that?" Phoebe asked, frowning.  
"What?" Paige asked.  
"Someone cried 'Demon' in my head..." Piper muttered, still with her hands up. Phoebe nodded and Paige kept silent. What the hell was going on??

°°°°°°°°°°

Suddenly Steve relaxed as fast as he had freaked out. He closed his eyes like he was sleeping.  
John shook his head... he didn't understand that, he never had seen something like that before.  
Tom turned to Nicki who was still holding Steve's hand: "Can I talk to you for a moment?"  
Nicki looked at him. She didn't want to leave her friend but... there was something in Tom's eyes... so she nodded. She rose and give Steve a kiss on his forehead: "I'll be back in a minute honey." Then she followed Tom and Veronica out of the room.  
"What's wrong?" she asked as soon as Veronica had closed the door.  
Tom hesitated: "I don't know... I'm not sure... it was like... when he cried 'demon' it was like there was something else in his mind..."  
"Something else?" Nicki asked frowning.  
Tom sighed, it was difficult for him to explain his feelings. Veronica hugged him from behind to give him support, to show him that he wasn't alone.  
"I don't know how describe it better... it was like... yeah like a malfunction on TV..." Tom said finally.  
Nicki sighed: "That's not good... something happened to him the last night, and I fear that it was something really bad..."  
For a moment they all kept silence. Then Tom sighed. "Maybe..." he hesitated again, "maybe I could try to enter his mind... try to find what he forgot..."  
Nicki looked at him with watery eyes. She knew that this was dangerous for Tom, for him more than for Steve. She shook her head: "No Tom, I can't let you do that now, that's too dangerous... I agree that we should keep that as last option, but first we should try some more saver ways."  
Tom nodded and both, he and Veronica hugged Nicki tightly.

°°°°°°°°°°

"What happened?" Chris and Wyatt asked simultaneously, when they both materialised in the attic.  
"Another demon," Phoebe answered bored.  
"That's not funny, aunt Phoebe," Wyatt remarked.  
"Yeah that's true, but we have no idea what this about, or who is behind all this... so it is really getting on our nerves," Piper answered.  
"Mom!" Wyatt couldn't believe that she talked like that, usually she was more determined... much more.  
"Welcome in my world..." Chris mumbled.  
"I heard that!" Piper shot back at him. Chris sighed.  
"Alright what are we gonna do now?" Paige asked.  
"Well... since I'm an Elder my demonic sources are mostly dried out, but I could go down there and see if I can figure something out," Chris suggested.  
Piper nodded, even if she didn't like the idea that her son was walking through the underworld again.  
"Yeah," Phoebe grimaced, "maybe you should ask your special friend." Chris glanced at her angrily, but she just smiled sweetly as answer.  
"Did I miss something?" Piper asked.  
"No!" Chris and Phoebe exclaimed at the same time.  
Piper rose her eyebrows: "Oh... ok..." 'That was weird,' she thought. Then she returned to the daily business: "Alright... Chris you do as you said... Wyatt you go with your brother... I'll surly feel better if he isn't alone down there..."  
"MOM!" Chris exclaimed, "I'm 23, not that little baby down there."  
Piper smiled at him: "You'll always be my baby, honey." Chris grimaced.  
Then Piper turned to Paige: "Take the kids and Cole to the school." Her sister nodded.  
"And me?" Phoebe asked.  
"You and me write some spells and make some potions till Leo is back... Hopefully he will have some news for us," the oldest of the sisters said.  
And so they did.

°°°°°°°°°°

"That didn't work the way it should!" The old demon said angry.  
The young man looked down: "I don't know what happened... It seems he had..."  
"I know how it seems... I want to know how that was possible!" the old one yelled angry.  
"I swear," the young man answered quickly and full of fear, "I haven't done anything! I just did what you said and brought him to that street... that's all I did!"  
The old demon grumbled: "Leave me alone for now!"  
The young man took a bow and left as fast as he could.

°°°°°°°°°°

"How did you know about him?" Chris asked casually, as he walked in the Underworld, side by side with Wyatt.  
"Huh?" Wyatt walked a step ahead of him, clearing the way for his little brother. "About whom?"  
Chris grabbed his shoulder and made him slow down and walk again by his side. "About Belthazor, moron, you know that."  
Wyatt shrugged. "I come from the future, Chris, is there a better reason?" he said trying to separate himself from Chris again, and watch for any trouble that could bother them.  
But Chris grabbed his arm again. "Wyatt, stop!" he said harshly.  
His brother turned to him surprised. "What's wrong? We should focus Chris... This is not the beach..."  
"That's the point. I feel like a little child walking by your hand, man. I'm not the Chris from your time, the young one. Imagine you're with my adult self because I'm that one. I'm more used to this than you, believe it or not." Wyatt stopped and sighed, staring at him as Chris went on: "Mom sees me like the little baby she holds in her arms but I'm not him... I'm more experienced..."  
"Chris, this is not a question of being more experienced or not."  
"This is not a question or being the older brother, Wyatt!" Chris protested, cutting him off.  
Wyatt raised his hands in a gesture of acceptance: "Ok!! I get your meaning! I'm the little baby here!"  
"No, you don't," Chris said smiling slightly and softening his voice. "We should just go side by side, man. We need to protect each other, that's all. And going back to the question..." Chris said, starting to walk again, "How did you know?"  
"Chris, this is not a moment for this... I told you I come from the future..."  
"But only a few know it..."  
"And more people will know. Secrets don't last forever, Chris. You know that better than me."  
Chris blushed and lowered his eyes. It was a funny sight. The two Halliwells walking in the Underworld and talking casually as if they were just strolling.  
But even if it was funny, no demon would miss that chance... An energy ball flew towards them.  
Wyatt had enough time to see it coming and push Chris aside, but the ball hit the blonde Halliwell with all its strength.  
"Wyatt!" Chris cried from the ground, horrified. He turned to see the demon that had attacked, and didn't hesitate in extending his arms and sending towards him a flash of energy. The demon collapsed on the floor and went into flames. He was dead before he knew he was being killed.  
Then Chris crawled towards his brother and turned him on his back, to check the wound on his chest. Quickly, he put his hands over it, and it healed immediately. Wyatt awoke slowly.  
"Hey, are you ok?" Chris asked unable to hide his worries.  
"Yeah..." Wyatt muttered, sitting up, "a little bit dizzy..."  
Wyatt narrowed his eyes, focusing on something behind Chris. He closed them and tried to clear his sight, but it was blurred. "Damn it..." he said, gritting his teeth.  
Chris turned around to see what Wyatt was seeing. "Uh, oh..." he just said.  
There were dozens of demons right there, smirking, some of them playing with their energy balls as if they were just balls. When Chris turned his look towards Wyatt again, he found out that more demons had shimmered behind his brother too. They were surrounded.

°°°°°°°°°°

John had stayed with Steve, staring at him worriedly and feeling helpless. What could he do for them? The young man was like sleeping on the chaise, but he was very pale.  
Suddenly he heard a voice behind: "Hi... have you seen Miss Nicholus... I've sensed her..." He stopped: "Mr. Moody?" He approached the sleeping teacher, and looked at him frowning. Then he turned to John: "Is he ok?"  
John nodded: "Yeah... I think so. What are you doing here?"  
The boy shrugged: "I'm working with Miss Nicholus on a project. I've got a fellowship, and I needed to talk to her, but if it's not a good moment..."  
"Hello Adam," Nicki's voice said before John could add anything. She sounded tired, and her eyes were red. "I forgot to tell you not to come today, you also need a rest."  
Adam shook his head. "It's ok, I... I didn't know," he said, pointing at Steve. "I'm sorry. Is that why he didn't appear yesterday? Was he sick or something?"  
Nicki frowned: "Maybe the flu. Don't worry. He's sleeping..."  
Adam nodded: "Ok..."  
But Nicki was frowning. Then she turned to Tom and Veronica who had come after her: "Hey... I can try to enter his dreams. I think it's safer than your idea."  
"Nicki, you haven't done it since you entered the day we all got lost down there in the cellar. It weakens you a lot. And if something's wrong inside his head, it could be dangerous..." Tom said. But Nicki shook her head: "I can do it when the other person is sleeping, ok? That other time I tried with awoken people..."  
Adam looked at her worriedly: "They're right, you shouldn't put yourself in danger..."  
Nicki glared at the boy: "Are you still here? Adam, this is not your business ok? I know what I do..."  
"But..." he looked at John, but the whitelighter shrugged. Then he turned to Tom and Veronica, and they shook their heads: "Ok I just wanted to help." Then Adam orbed away, glancing at Steve right before disappearing.

°°°°°°°°°°

"What was it between you and Cole? And... have you fixed it?" Piper asked while putting some fairy tears into the pot with the new potion. A little cloud raised from it.  
Phoebe sighed: "I didn't know that you..."  
"Oh come one... I'm not blind... so what was it?"  
"Can't tell you..." the empath answered slightly absent, "that's something between him and me... but don't worry... I think it's fixed."  
Piper frowned: "You think?"  
At that moment bluish orbing lights filled the room and Leo returned. He looked around like seeking for someone.  
"What's wrong?" Piper asked.  
"Where's Chris?"  
"Underworld with Wyatt," Phoebe replied.  
"WHAT?" the Elder exclaimed shocked for a moment. Then he looked at his wife.  
"Don't worry honey... I'm sure they know what they do..." Piper explained, "Chris wants to check some of his old contacts to find something about the latest attacks."  
Leo sighed and nodded. It was weird... A year ago, before all that happened, he hadn't cared about what Chris had done... but now... Knowing that his son was down in the underworld, was something he really didn't like. "And where is the rest?" he asked then.  
"Cole and the kids are at the school, Paige has brought them... she also wanted to check some books at the library... she should return in a few minutes," Phoebe said still a little absent.  
Leo just nodded. Then he turned to his wife again: "The Elder-Council is worried about the latest attacks... They are only attacking this family as it seems... Odin believes that there is more about that, then we can see at this point... something big..."  
"Yeah, I got the same feeling," Piper muttered.  
"I know honey," Leo said, "but the reason I'm here is... that they want to talk to Chris..."  
"What?" both women exclaimed all of a sudden. "Why?"  
Leo sighed: "They believe he could know something subconscious... They just want to talk to him, hoping to be able to ask the right questions..."  
"But Leo, we can't let him go up there... not as long as Wyatt is here... that wouldn't be good."  
"I know," the Elder said, "and I did my best to put them off to interviewing him... but they still want to talk to him..."  
"Yeah, but he isn't here..." Phoebe muttered.  
Piper nodded: "Yeah, tell them he isn't at home, and if he's back we tell him what you've said." Leo nodded and orbed away again after he had given his wife a kiss on her cheek.  
"That's really weird," Phoebe said. Piper just nodded slowly.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Veronica, please go to my office. On my desk is a little box with some magical stuff... Could you bring me that?" Nicki asked. She was really determined to do as she had said. She wanted to enter Steve's dreams, hoping to find an answer there.  
Veronica nodded and left the room. Tom sighed meanwhile and went a little closer to his friend: "I still could try..."  
"No," Nicki said, "it's to dangerous... this is my turn." Tom nodded.  
Suddenly again bluish orbing lights filled the room. "Mr. Moody, I got it... and..." Harry started even before he was completely materialised, but when he saw his teacher he froze. Then he turned to Nicki: "Miss Nicholus, what happened?"  
Nicki just sighed. She couldn't bear another student now.  
Tom went over to the young man, took his arm around him and led him away. "Actually, we're not sure what happened," he said to the young half-whitelighter, "but as you can imagine this is really a bad time and..."  
"Of course," Harry said, "but please... If I could help you in any kind of way... just call me."  
Tom smiled: "Thank you!" Harry nodded and then he orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole had brought the kids to the kindergarten after Paige had orbed them to the school. Now he was on his way to Bianca. He wanted to have a look after her. He knew that Chris was worried about her state, so he thought it was a good idea to check if she's fine.  
When he strolled down the long hallway he met Veronica. "Hey," he greeted.  
The girl smiled weakly, her face covered with worry.  
"What's wrong?" Cole asked.  
The young woman shrugged: "It's Steve... it seems he had been attacked last night, but he can't remember anything..."  
"Oh my God..." Cole whispered not knowing what else to say.  
"Nicki will try to enter his dreams while he's sleeping," Veronica went on, "she asked me to bring her some things from her office which shall help her..."  
Cole just nodded. Then he asked: "Where are they?"  
"In the infirmary..." she answered and went on to Nicki's office.  
Cole sighed and whispered: "Another persons to visit..."

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris helped Wyatt to his feet. Back to back they turned around to face their enemies.  
"Not Good," Wyatt remarked, while the demons stepped slowly closer.  
"You say it brother," Chris gave back. "Maybe we should just orb back home..."  
Wyatt turned his head to his brother: "Since when are you such a coward?"  
"So tell me, if you have a better idea."  
"What about your Elder-powers?" Wyatt asked.  
Chris sighed: "I promised dad not to use them this way..."  
Wyatt rolled his eyes and grimaced without his bothers notice. Then he said: "Alright, than let me handle that!"  
Chris turned around surprised. His brother winked at him. Then he yelled: "DOWN!" Chris did, knowing that his brother was serious... but he wasn't prepared for what happened then.  
Wyatt just stretched out his arms and sent out a wave of magical light. Like a ribbon of orange energy, it streamed from his fingertips through the whole cave and cut every demon into two halves. The cave was filled with painful yells for about 3 seconds, till the last one of them was vanquished. Then everything was calm.  
Chris rose and glanced at his brother with mouth wide open. "Wow," he muttered finally.  
Wyatt just grinned proudly while his brother was still frozen in astonishment.  
But sudden hand-clappings made them both turn around. In one of the tunnels stood a well known person. "You must be Wyatt, right?... really impressing."  
"Hello Julian," the blonde witch answered with a smirk.

* * *

_(Chapter 6 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x) _


	7. Chapter 7

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 7**

"Did you find out what went wrong?" the old demon asked, right after the young man had orbed in.  
He looked around and then said with a fearful voice: "No... I couldn't..."  
The demon looked at him furious and yelled: "WHAT? CAN YOU TELL ME WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU, YOU UNUSFUL PIECE OF A WHITELIGHTER?"  
The young man stepped back: "I'm sorry, he was with his friends they kept me away from him. I couldn't do anything... not without making them suspect me..."  
The demon glanced at the young man and then shot an energy ball which streaked his shoulder: "GO... AND DON'T COME BACK BEFORE YOU CAN GIVE ME AN USEFUL ANSWER!"  
The whitelighter struggled not to fall and orbed out of the cave as fast as he could.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris looked intermittently at Wyatt and Julian, feeling at a loss. Ok... Wyatt knew Julian... From the future. He also knew Belthazor. Why?? It was clear that Wyatt wouldn't tell him. BUT... Julian didn't seem very surprised to see Wyatt there!!!  
Chris stared at the coloured witch, narrowing his eyes. He always knew a lot of things. He was always there right when he was needed. And he acted in a superior way that Chris didn't like... Because that meant that he was in control of everything, and if he was, Belthazor was... He turned to Wyatt...  
Julian had smiled at the blonde Halliwell as he approached them: "I see you know me... That's good.  
"Yeah..." he answered.  
"Ok. Time out. You two know a lot, and I think this is very unkind of you..."  
"I'm sorry, brother. Future consequences. Your own medicine," Wyatt answered smirking, without taking his eyes from Julian.  
This smiled back: "He's right, Chris... we shouldn't know too much details..."  
"Great," Chris rolled his eyes. "Ok, let's try this way. What are you doing here, Julian?"  
The alluded man chuckled: "I'm at home..." He smiled. "But if you mean what is happening..." He gestured with his hands: "Someone can give you answers..."  
Chris frowned. "I mean if you knew about this attack. Or how did you get here right now? Were you watching? Did your boss send them?" he asked, suspicious.  
Wyatt put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Chris," he said, looking at Julian.  
The coloured witch answered: "He's not my boss and you owe us a lot, you know that, but still he's not my boss, he's my friend, what you also know. And I said I know how you can get answers. But you'll need to wear this." He showed the two men a pair of blindfolds."  
"WHAT??!! No way, man... Do you think we wanna commit suicide??" Chris exclaimed, shaking his head.  
Wyatt frowned, but stayed calm. "What is that for?" he asked, seeing how he took a rope out too.  
Julian smiled but took his time to answer. "He doesn't want you to know how to get there on your own," he explained finally.  
Wyatt nodded, but Chris stepped backwards. "And what about the rope? You're not gonna tie us up..." he said, determined.  
Julian couldn't help laughing, and Wyatt smiled at his brother.  
"This is for you to keep steady and don't lose your way. I'm just gonna tie it around your waists, but if you don't want..." Julian shrugged, "do as you like."  
Chris stared at them narrowing his eyes, as Wyatt stepped to the witch and took the rope.  
"Come on, Chris... trust me," he said, tying it around his own waits and giving him the end, and the other end to Julian.  
Chris took it distrusting, but did as his brother said. At least Wyatt was from the future, so... He surely had his reasons to trust Julian. He sighed.  
Then they put the blindfolds over his eyes, and Julian made a try to see if the were able to see something.  
"We need to talk a lot, brother..." Chris mumbled, feeling uncomfortable.  
Then Julian took the end of the rope, and guided the two brothers through the Underworld.

°°°°°°°°°°

Tiptoeing Bianca and Cole entered the small room. As soon as Cole had told the Phoenix what he had found out, she wanted to check on their friend on her own. She was worried, and she wanted to check if she could help in any way.  
Cole wasn't so happy about that. Bianca should rest... But she was so damn stubborn.  
When they entered Steve seemed still to sleep. Nicki sat beside him, caressing his cheek, while Tom talked quietly to John.  
"How is he?" Bianca asked the whitelighter in a low voice.  
John shrugged: "I don't know... I've healed his wounds but he is under shock and I fear there is something more... but there is nothing I can do."  
"Oh man... " Cole murmured.  
"There is something in his mind, something I can't explain the right way... it's like a malfunction, or a interference, or something like that... He's definitely not alright," Tom added with a sad voice.  
John sighed again: "I have to go now... another charge is calling for me... I'm sorry... But call me if you need me." Tom nodded and the whitelighter orbed away.  
"I didn't know that he is Steve's whitelighter," Cole remarked after he was gone.  
"Steve's and also Nicki's," Tom explained.  
At that moment Veronica returned with the small box. She nodded to Cole and Bianca and went over to Nicki.  
The young woman took the box from her friend and opened it carefully. Inside there were a crystal and an amulet. She put the last one around her neck and the crystal she hold in her fist. With the other hand she took the old and broken picture of Steve she carried around in her purse everyday.  
Nicki sighed and looked at her friends. She smiled a little because she knew they all cared... and it was good to have some people who care.  
Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Seconds later she fall down to the ground like unconscious.

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige returned only moments after Leo was gone. "Something new?" she asked.  
Piper shook her head: "Nothing... Leo was here a few minutes ago... The Elders fear a great attack from the underworld, but they also have nothing specific."  
Paige nodded: "Well but maybe I have something..." the heads of her sisters turned to her. "There are rumours," the youngest charmed one explained, "some students told me that it's said that there is a whitelighter standing on the wrong side, planing to destroy the balance of the forces."  
Phoebe grinned: "Such rumours we have everyday at school."  
"I know," Paige shot back, "but this one seems to be serious... cause even Airen and Jolino, those two who are holding the whitelighter-lessons, are talking about that... they had been actually those who told me..."  
Piper frowned: "If even the whitelighters are talking about that..."  
Phoebe sighed: "Ok... So what do we do now?"  
"Still we need more potions to be prepared," Piper said.  
"And you shall not overwork yourself," Paige remarked at her oldest sister, "it's only 4 weeks now, and the doctor said you should be more careful."  
"I'm not going to sit around and wait for the demons to kill me!" Piper shot back angry.  
Paige rolled her eyes: "Yeah, but your sons need you too..."  
The oldest charmed one narrowed her eyes. But before she could answer something a darklighter appeared in front of them.  
The man took a look around quickly, and before anybody could react, he shot an arrow at Paige. The witch-whitelighter tried to duck, but got hit in the shoulder, the same second that Piper blew up the intruder.  
Paige looked at the arrow and the bleeding wound. "Not good," she muttered, then she broke down. Phoebe and Piper rushed over to her, both calling for Leo...

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki felt cold, her clothes were wet... wet from sweat and blood. She felt her hands chained, her back hurt... she felt dizzy. "Steve?" she called.  
No response.  
"Steve? she called again.  
Then she heard someone moaning. 'Oh my God,' she thought. She tried to see something but she couldn't, suddenly she felt zoomed to her friend, he was suddenly close to her, next to her, chained like her.  
"Steve, can you hear me?" Nicki asked again.  
Steve mumbled something. She couldn't understand it, but when she concentrated on it, the words became clearer.  
"Nicki will kill me... Nicki will kill me..."  
She sighed: "Oh honey, I'm so sorry..." Again Nicki tried to get some information about her surroundings. But it was impossible, there was only darkness.  
Suddenly she heard steps, heavy steps. Then he felt her head pushed up, like the one of her friend. "Time for you, man!" someone said. It was a deep voice. 'Surely a demon,' Nicki thought.  
Then she and Steve where pushed to another room, unable to escape.  
There they were chained to a chair... and then there was a blinding light. Nicki again tried to see what's around her, but she couldn't... the light hurt her eyes. And then she felt a terrible pain.

°°°°°°°°°°

Tom had went over to Nicki and sat down next to her. He had put her head into his lap and was now caressing her hair. She wasn't really unconscious... it was more like sleeping, and she seemed to have a really bad nightmare.  
Bianca, Cole and Veronica had also approached them. The Phoenix was looking after Steve while the other two looked after Nicki, too. No one dared to speak, while the girl was tossing around in her sleep.  
"What may she see?" Veronica asked worried after a while.  
Tom shrugged: "What ever Steve is dreaming... hopefully she is able to turn the dream to the actions of the last night."  
Cole sighed and stood up again. He went over to Bianca and put a hand on her shoulder: "How do you feel? I mean... I don't want you to wear yourself out."  
The Phoenix looked at him with a sad smile: "I'm alright..."  
At that time also Steve began to toss around. Cole took his hand in order to calm down, but suddenly he was thrown into a premonition. For a moment he just knotted. Then he relaxed.  
"What happened?" Bianca asked frowning.  
"Are you ok?" Tom asked.  
Veronica stood up and went over to him: "Everything alright?"  
Cole wanted to run away that moment... he didn't want to say what happened, he didn't want them to know. But before he could say something, Nicki yelled in pain and then broke down, now really unconscious.  
At the same second Steve woke up. He sat up with a start and looked around confused. But he seemed to be completely awaken now. Then he saw his girlfriend: "Oh God, what happened?"

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris and Wyatt walked blindfolded for five minutes or so, during which Chris did not stop complaining. That didn't make sense... Was that the way Wyatt was supposed to take care of him? Was that the way he took care of his little self in his time? Because if that was the way, he should have a very serious talk with little Wyatt when everything was done. Or when he was bigger.  
While he complained, Wyatt mocked him in a very low voice and smirked behind his blindfold.  
"Come on, Wyatt... This is the Underworld. UN-DER-WORLD!" he whispered, clenching his jaw and trying to reach his brother, feeling he would lose balance and fall down. "There are demons everywhere and who are we? We are the sons of the Charmed Ones! I bet there are posters saying "wanted" with my face on them. And your little baby face too!" He tripped, but recovered his balance soon, and Wyatt held his arm.  
"Chris, relax, please... Trust me, ok? I know what I'm doing..."  
"Of course..." Chris groaned.  
Julian was leading the line, holding the rope. Sometimes he forgot they were blindfolded and walked faster, but then he stopped again and looked at the boys without saying a word, just smiling amused.  
"But don't forget it... Wyatt, this makes no sense!" Chris started again. "We're here and we're gonna see the source of all evil, and how?? Blindfolded and tied by the waist. What I said... a suicide!"  
He had to stop because he fell down on the floor. "Damn it!" he cried. Julian and Wyatt stopped suddenly to see if he was ok. Chris flinched, a little bit embarrassed of having tripped.  
"It's ok... Let's go," he said standing up and holding his elbow which had a scratch.  
"Healing?" Wyatt asked concerned.  
Chris shook his head: "No..."  
"Well, let's go then," Julian said, starting to walk again.  
Wyatt didn't move at first, but then he felt the rope and knew he had to do it. Chris extended his arms searching for his brother, and feeling unsteady. He was afraid to fall down again.  
Finally he touched him, and Wyatt, when he felt him, took his hand smiling: "It's ok, brother… I won't let you go." Chris nodded, even if he couldn't be seen by Wyatt. From that moment on he shut up and walked.  
Julian smiled at their conversations and reactions, but kept silent as always. Finally he made them stop and announced: "Here we are... I brought them, as you asked."  
Another voice answered: "Good. You can take off the cloth from your eyes."  
Chris and Wyatt hurried to do so, and also the ropes, and blinked a little bit before staring at the reddish demon that stood in front of them.  
"Welcome," the source smirked.  
Wyatt smirked back, but Chris looked at him swallowing. Even if he had helped them before, he wasn't sure if that had been a good idea. Julian was blocking the entrance behind them, and Chris wondered if they would be able to orb away from there.  
"It's a nice place, but you need a woman's hand here," Wyatt said, talking to Belthazor.  
The demon raised an eyebrow, but then shook his head, and approached the boys. He stretched his arm towards Chris, who hesitated for a moment. Then, he nodded, and shook his hand. He felt really weird...  
"It was about time to meet... formally," Belthazor said.  
"What do you want? Were those demons yours?" Chris abruptly asked.  
Belthazor laughed, as he shook hands with Wyatt. "Yes, they were. And they weren't exactly demons." he added looking at a smiley Julian. "Let's say it was new technology..." He looked at some computers around the cave.  
Chris and Wyatt looked at each other. "But why??" asked Chris, without understanding.  
"Kind of... training. I wanted to know if you'd be prepared for what is coming," Belthazor answered. His tone was grave this time, and his expression serious. He made a sign that the two boys sat down, wherever, and they did. Now, they were really interested...

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve rose and rushed over to Nicki. He knelt down next to her, caressing her hair. She didn't wake up. Steve glanced at Tom: "Can you tell me, what the hell had happened???"  
Tom stared at his friend frozen in shock. But then he shook his head: "You had been..." He wasn't sure how to say it. "... kind of ill... Nicki entered your dreams to find a way to help you!"  
"WHAT?" Steve exclaimed and turned to the others who nodded. "I'm not ill..." he protested.  
"Steve," Bianca said softly and went over to him. She took his hand and lead him to the chaise. "Can you tell me what you did after you left Harry's house?"  
The young witch glanced at her: "Of course, I..." he stopped.  
"Steve?" Veronica asked worried.  
"I... I went down the Kings Street..." he said hesitating, "and... than there is nothing."  
Bianca nodded. "So you see... you had been kind of ill."  
"But now it seems you're ok," Tom said. He shimmered Nicki to another chaise and turned to Steve again. "We tried to find you with scrying, but it said you were in a pub, which I couldn't believe... I tried to contact you this morning, but I couldn't... It was like you were blocking me..."  
"But..." Steve wanted to say that he had no idea how to block his friend out, but Tom stopped him.  
"I know," he said and went on with his explanation, "finally our connection reappeared slowly, so we found you in a sideway, behind a pub... you were badly wounded, like you were attacked and chained somewhere."  
Steve looked at his friend in disbelieving.  
"We brought you here," Veronica went on, "and John healed you. But you didn't wake up completely. And Tom said he noticed that there was something wrong with you... and you had a little outburst one time..."  
"What outburst?" Steve asked confused.  
"You screamed 'Demon'," Tom said, "and it was like there was something else in your mind, but I can't explain it... Then Nicki decided to try to enter your dreams... she did it, we couldn't stop her, and... after a while she started yelling and then she lost conscious... and the same second you woke up... and as it seems completely recovered."  
"That's freaky!" Steve shook his head. He couldn't understand all this.  
"You say it, boy," Bianca muttered and put her hand on his shoulder to make him feel that he wasn't alone. "But I'm sure, we'll find out what happened."  
Steve nodded, then he turned to look at Nicki: "But first we have to help her!"

°°°°°°°°°°

"Leo damned, where are you?" Piper yelled.  
"Piper..." Paige whispered. She got paler and paler with every second.  
Phoebe hold her had and caressed her check. She was so cold. "It's ok, honey... Leo will be here in a second," she whispered. But Paige already lost conscious.  
A moment later a lot of bluish orbs filled the attic. As soon as they materialised Leo, Odin and Silas rushed over to the wounded witch-whitelighter and started to heal her. The other two sisters stepped a little aside, watching how the Elders did their work.  
It took a little while till the golden glow took effect and the wound started to close slowly.  
"Why did it take so long?" Piper asked her husband, who looked really exhausted after it was done. But Paige was still unconscious.  
Odin shrugged, then he answered: "I don't know why... something is wrong here... something about the poison."  
"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked worried.  
"Well..." Silas sighed, "that's why all three of us came. We were worried that there could be happen something unexpected... something difficult to handle... and we were sure it would happen here, at this house... because everything seemed to concentrate on you at the moment."  
Piper and Phoebe looked at him frowning. Then the younger one shook her head: "But what about Paige? Why is she still unconscious?"  
"We don't know?" Leo said... "This poison is stronger than usual..."  
"Do you mean...?" Piper said afraid of ending her question.  
Leo nodded: "We have to find an antidote... Because we have done all we could..."

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris looked from one to the other: "Alright... I want an explanation... and I want a clear one, without any riddles or games or something!"  
"For unreal demons, they can hurt people very well," Wyatt muttered.  
Belthazor and Julian just smiled. "How's your wife?" the red demon then asked the Elder-witch.  
Chris narrowed his eyes and then threw an energy ball into Belthazor's direction. It hit the wall just a few inches next to his head. "I thought I said no games!" Chris replied angry.  
Wyatt put his hand on his brothers shoulder: "Calm down, ok? If he wanted to kill us, he had already done it..."  
Chris glanced back at him: "He tried to kill you... have you forgotten that little fact?"  
"But I'm alive Chris," Wyatt replied, "and he isn't THAT evil... so just be a little more polite, ok?"  
"Well as long as you don't tell me why you trust him..." Chris answered. Then he turned back to the red demon who looked... kind of uneasy, kind of guilty. Chris shook his head: "So... I'm still waiting."  
Belthazor turned to Julian who nodded. Then the witch began to explain: "This is a kind of base. From here we try to help people who need help... demons, witches, innocents... whatever."  
Chris couldn't help chuckling. That was to freaky...  
But Julian just went on: "With this technology we have our eyes and ears spread around the underworld... and we found some things which might be interesting for you."  
Chris and Wyatt rose both their eyebrows. "And that is what?" the latter asked.  
Now Belthazor turned over the speech: "There is a kind of force down here, something evil... actually I can't tell you more, cause most of this based on rumours... But what we know for sure, is that there is a whitelighter who is working for that evil, and they are after your whole family."  
Chris frowned: "Why should I believe you?"  
Julian went over to one of the computers and started a record. On the screen Chris could see two persons standing in the shadow. He couldn't see who these persons were but then he saw one of them disappear by orbing. Chris didn't know what to say... that was just crazy.  
"Ok, but why that testing?" Wyatt asked.  
"Because I fear that there is more about that, than what we know... I fear that this evil plans something bigger than just killing all of you. A lot of demons - also some from my groups - had disappeared lately. There is something going on and it freaks me out that I don't know what!"  
The cave started to shake by the sources anger. Julian looked at his friend: "Calm down before you destroy our shelter!" he said harshly. Belthazor did.  
Chris was surprised how that witch was talking to the source of all evil... and that Belthazor let him do so without killing him... 'That's all really strange!' he thought.  
Then Belthazor turned to his guests again: "Trust no one," he said. Then he made a movement with his hand.  
Before Chris and Wyatt had even noticed it, they were back at the place where they had met that witch. Julian and Belthazor were nowhere to see.  
"Wow," Wyatt muttered.  
Chris turned to him: "Can you now please explain all that to me, please?"

* * *

_(Chapter 7 written by Chrissy.W.x and Belén) _


	8. Chapter 8

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 8**

"WHAT??" Piper exclaimed. "An antidote, where are we going to find that?"  
"I don't know, but we need to find it fast. Or else..." Leo tried to explain, but he couldn't finish his sentence.  
"Don't you dare saying that!" Piper said. Leo backed off - a wise choice. What else could he do, he knew his wife was just scared.  
"What are you talking about...?" Paige whispered suddenly.  
"Oh, nothing, just a little fight," Piper answered. She sat down by her sister again, caressing her hair.  
"Piper, why..." Leo said, but again she didn't let him finish his sentence. "What? That's what it is." Piper turned to her sister: "Paige? We'll be right back." Then she pulled Leo to the kitchen.  
Piper turned to her husband as soon as they were far enough away, so that Paige couldn't hear them. "Leo, we can't tell her the truth, then she'll become stressed and it'll go even worse," the witch said.  
Leo shook his head: "No, we have to tell her, she has to know."  
"Ok, so let's talk with Phoebe," his wife shot back angry, "let's see how she thinks about it."  
So they did. And the empath agreed to not tell her the truth, at least not now. They still had time... even if they had not much... So the Elder gave in and orbed up there to see if his fellows had found something...  
Then Phoebe had to start working on her column again. Elise had called her, while her sister and brother-in-law had been in the kitchen, and said that if the text wasn't there on time, she'd be fired. So she had to write something quickly.  
Nevertheless, she wanted to check if Paige was fine or at least as fine as possible. Even if Piper was already taking care for her, she was her sister too. She couldn't just sit back and work, even if there was nothing she could do for her at that moment. So she had placed her laptop on the table in the living room, observing her sister while writing.

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve looked scared from one to the other. "Okay, does anybody know something that can help her?" he asked. He was more worried about Nicki than about himself.  
Everyone shook their heads, except Bianca. She had an idea, but she didn't like it. "I remember," she said hesitating, "that there's something in my mother's book."  
"So, can you bring it here?" Veronica asked.  
Bianca swallowed. Cole shook his head: "Actually it's not such a good idea, that she goes and visits her..."  
Steve nodded. He and Tom knew that the Phoenix and her mom were anything else but close. "So, we have to go and get it," he said and jumped up. "Who volunteers?"  
"We'll go." Veronica said. Tom hesitated. He also wasn't very eager to go there. But Veronica took his hand and so he gave in. What else could he do? So he nodded and shimmered them out.  
Steve meanwhile turned to Nicki again and kissed her forehead. "You'll be fine, Nicki, don't worry," he whispered.  
"The best thing we can do now is wait for Tom and Veronica to return." Bianca said. She hoped her mother would help them, or at least not harm her friends.  
Then she sighed and walked to the door. "I need something to drink. Anyone else want something?"  
"Bianca let me get that, you..." Cole tried, still worried about her.  
"I'm pregnant, not sick!" the Phoenix snapped back at him. Cole sighed and shook his head. Meanwhile Bianca turned to Steve, asking again if he want something.  
"No thanks," he answered, without taking his eyes away from his love.  
Bianca nodded and turned to leave. But before she stepped through the door she said: "Stay with her, Steve. She'll be fine... I'll promise"

°°°°°°°°°°

"I can't tell you." Wyatt said with a sigh. "We should go back and tell the other what we've found out..."  
Chris eyed him sceptically. "Ok... your right..." he said then, "but I just don't get it. The source of all evil wants to help us and doesn't want that the Charmed Ones die, that's... I even don't know what that's like...!!!"  
"Yeah, I know it's weird, but he has his reasons..." Wyatt explained.  
"Okay, but..." Chris began again, but his brother interrupted him.  
"Let's go home now," he said and grabbed Chris's arm and orbed them home.  
As soon as they materialised in the living room Chris complained: "Hey, I can orb for myself!" But then he saw Paige and ran over to her. Piper and Phoebe were there too and Leo was looking into the Book of Shadows. "Why didn't you heal her?" Chris yelled, trying to help her on her own.  
"He tried... There is nothing he could do, nothing you can do... What we need is an antidote," Piper explained as calm as possible.  
"But, what happened? Who?" Wyatt asked shocked.  
"A darklighter," Piper answered, "the poison is stronger then normal. Even Odin and Silas came to heal her, but it didn't work. They are looking for an antidote now."  
"I'll go to the school to look into the books there... I need to do something," Phoebe said and a tear rolled over her cheek. She had finished her work, and now... just sitting around was killing her. "Chris, can you bring me?" Chris nodded and took her hand. Then they orbed out.  
Wyatt shook his head. He couldn't believe that the Elders couldn't heal her. So he sat down next to his aunt, caressing her hand softly.

°°°°°°°°°°

Tom was about to knock on the door, but then he hesitated. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here," he said and lowered his hand.  
Veronica sighed: "We need the book to help Nicki... So swallow down your worries, ok?" She pushed her boyfriend a little aside and knocked on her own.  
It took a little while till the door was opened. When Mrs Anderson saw Tom and the other woman next to him, she sighed. "What do you want here?" she asked.  
"Hello Mrs Anderson. Can we come in?" Veronica asked, cheeky like she was, "because I don't think you want to discuss magical stuff in the staircase..."  
The woman nodded and let the two in, but short after she had closed the door she asked again and a little less friendly: "What do you want?"  
"Bianca send us," Tom said, still a little worried. He knew that Mrs Anderson didn't like how the things went on with her daughter, her adult daughter. He knew she didn't like her to have a child with a good witch... even if she accepted Chris in a way... And he, Tom, was also just a half Phoenix like the little baby, Bianca would soon give birth to... and Mrs Anderson knew that... all that made Tom feel really uncomfortable.  
"I told her that she shall not contact me... I don't want her to affect her little version," Bianca's mom snapped back.  
"We know that," Tom remarked, "but..."  
"We need your magical book of spells..." Veronica interrupted her friend, frustrated by that chit-chat. "One of our friends is kind of ill, she needs our help! Bianca said you have a spell that could help her!" Veronica was almost begging. Also Tom looked now at the Phoenix with a little hope in his eyes, hope that she would help them.  
Mrs Anderson sighed. Then she nodded: "Ok" She went over to a shelf and took out the book. "How is Bianca?" she asked casually, "The baby isn't born yet, right?"  
Tom nodded: "She's fine I think... a little tired sometimes, but she's fine..."  
Mrs Anderson nodded. She handed over the small book and said: "Bring it back to me as soon as possible, got it?"  
Veronica nodded: "We will!"  
"Thanks," Tom said and pushed Veronica back out of the apartment.  
As soon as Mrs Anderson had closed the door behind them, Veronica asked angry: "Why didn't you just shimmer us back to Nicki?"  
Tom shrugged: "Not from inside there..."  
"You fear her, right?" Veronica looked at him with kind of worry, fear was something she didn't know from him.  
"Not her... not that way... I fear what they could do to my mom, because of my existence..."  
Veronica nodded and then kissed him. Tom smiled back, took her hand and shimmered them both back to the school.

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige was still lying on the couch with Piper and Wyatt sitting next to her. "Piper..." she began, and coughed.  
"Don't talk, I'm right here." Piper said. It was obvious that the witch-whitelighter felt more and more worse every minute. 'Maybe Leo was right,' Piper thought. Maybe she should tell her. "Honey... I have to tell you something, but you must promise me you won't freak out. You're..."  
"Mom, can I talk to you for a second?" Wyatt asked so that Piper couldn't finish her sentence.  
"Can't it wait a moment?" Piper asked back annoyed. But Wyatt looked at her with a special look a look that was urgent.  
"Okay, let's go to the kitchen." She stood up and left the room, her son followed her.  
As soon as they had been far away enough so that Paige couldn't hear them, Wyatt said: "You can't tell her, believe me. You would only scare her and I'm sure we'll find a way to save her."  
"But..." Piper began but then she stopped. 'Wyatt was from the future,' she thought and that meant he should know what will happen... "Okay, I won't tell her." She sighed: "But I'm sure she already suspects that something is wrong... I mean usually she should be healed by now..."  
Wyatt sighed: "Tell her something like..." He couldn't come up with something logical either.

°°°°°°°°°°

Phoebe and Chris arrived in the school and even before they materialised, Phoebe said: "Are you going to look in the books and I'll ask around?"  
"No, it'll be better if you'll look into the books and I'll ask around, I want to go to Bianca anyway, so..." Chris answered.  
"Alright, then go, go, go!" she ordered harshly, most out of fear of losing her sister.  
"I'm already gone," Chris said and hurried down the hallway. He ran around the ways of the school, asking every Elder or teacher he could find, but without success.  
Then he met his wife , when she left the infirmary. "Hey honey, how are you? Is everything alright?" he asked, worried that there could be something wrong with the baby.  
"Yeah I'm fine," she answered.  
"Ok that's good... But..." He hesitated. Should he really tell her what's going on? Should he worry her?  
"Ok, save it, honey," she said, "I know that kind of look, so what's wrong?"  
"We have a problem... Paige was attacked by a darklighter and we can't heal her, the poison is too strong. We need to find something to help her, we need a kind of antidote. Phoebe is searching through the books in the library, while I asked around if someone had an idea what could help."  
The Phoenix sighed: "Hmmm... Tom and Veronica are gone to take my mother's book of spells, maybe there's something in there."  
"Oh that would be great... But... wait..." Chris looked at her confused. "Why do you need your mother's book? Is there something wrong? Are you sure you're fine???"  
"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry, she said with a smile and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "It's Nicki. Steve was attacked or something and he is... was still a little ill, or at least, we think. Nicki entered his dreams, but then she lost conscious when Steve woke up."  
"Is he alright?" Chris asked worried.  
"Yeah, it seems he's fine, but very worried about Nicki," Bianca answered and caressed his cheek lovingly. He always was worried about everyone. That's why she loved him so much.  
At that moment Tom and Veronica shimmered in. "Hey, here's the book," she said and gave it to Bianca.  
The Phoenix took it and immediately flipped through it: "And here's the spell. It's a white magic spell, so don't worry. Just say it, you don't need anything, not even candles."  
Veronica quickly copied the spell and then she and Tom shimmered straight back to their friends.  
Bianca meanwhile went through the book again. "Let's see..." she said while reading. "Ahh, maybe this spell can help Paige. There comes a glow, don't touch it, move it telekinetically into her. If anybody else touches it, he or she becomes very, very ill and dies within a couple of minutes. There's no antidote to that, so, be careful," she explained looking worried at him.  
"I will," Chris said.  
"Honey, that's black magic so be careful."  
He nodded with a sigh, gave her a kiss and orbed back to the manor.  
Bianca followed the disappearing blue orbing lights with her eyes. Then she turned around and nearly crashed into Harry.  
"Ups sorry," he muttered.  
"Wow, easy young man... what are you doing here?" Bianca asked surprised.  
"Homework... I have to prepare some stuff for the next year," the half whitelighter replied, "I'm about to meet Adam in the library."  
Bianca nodded. "Ok, than... have fun," she said and went back to her friends to see if the spell would work.

°°°°°°°°°°

Tom and Veronica didn't lose time and shimmered back to the infirmary.  
"Have you something?" Steve said and rose. He had still sat next to Nicki, while John had returned and was now trying to heal her.  
"You are really difficult charges," the whitelighter muttered to himself. It was useless, he couldn't help the woman.  
Cole stood a little aside, watching them... he was deeply submerged in his own thoughts.  
"We have a spell from Bianca, she said it should work," Tom explained waving with a sheet of paper, "we just have to put her name in..."  
"So let's try it," Steve said and went over to them. All together they read the lines:  
_"We call the lost soul,  
we call the lost mind,  
Nicki's conscious shall come back to us,  
to be with her body recombined."_  
For a moment nothing happened but then Steve felt a terrible headache. While he got down to his knees holding his head, his friends saw a little light that forced it's way out of his head.  
Steve looked up in disbelieving. While the light flew through the air he stood up again, the pain completely gone, and looked at Tom: "Shall that mean she was still inside me????" His friend just shrugged.  
Meanwhile the little light went over to Nicki. It approached her slowly and then it went into her head. Seconds later Nicki inhaled deeply.  
The friends and the whitelighter looked at her full of expectations. Then the young woman opened her eyes. "What happened?" she whispered.  
And when she saw Steve, fully awake and healthy, she jumped up with a smile to hug him. But even if she was so happy to see him, her body wasn't expecting that fast move. Suddenly Nicki felt dizzy, the world spinning around her. Steve rushed over to her, to prevent her from falling. "Easy honey," he whispered, and led her back to the chaise.  
He sat down next to her and looked her in the eyes: "Do you remember what happened?"  
Nicki closed her eyes, then she shook her head: "All I know is that I was in you mind, your dreams... I saw, I felt you where chained and that they did something, but I can't tell you what, or why or what else happened, cause suddenly there was only darkness..."  
Steve sighed. Then he hugged her tightly: "It's ok, baby, don't worry... I'm fine now... we're both fine."

°°°°°°°°°°

When Bianca approached the infirmary, Cole opened the door and left the room.  
"Hey," Bianca said, "did it work?"  
Cole nodded: "Yeah I think so... they are fine."  
The Phoenix sighed: "Thanks God..."  
"And you?" Cole asked worried. "You still look pale, are you alright?"  
She nodded smirking: "You're much harder to handle then my own husband." Cole smiled about her joke, but... He couldn't really believe her, not after...  
"Maybe you want to know that Phoebe is in the library," Bianca said with a sweet smile, bringing him back to the real world.  
Cole grinned: "Thanks." He really needed to talk to somebody now, and there was no one better than his fiancée.  
He was about to go when he heard his 'nice-in-law' moan behind him. He turned around again just in time to see her crank in pain, holding her womb.  
"God... girl, what happened?" he exclaimed scared by that sight.  
"I think Hope wants to be a martial-arts-champion like Phoebe," the Phoenix mumbled under her breath.  
Cole shook his head: "Alright, I bring you back to your apartment, where I will make sure that you relax." Bianca wanted to protest, but Cole already took her arm and led her to her rooms.

°°°°°°°°°°

When Chris rematerialised, all the eyes looked at him. "Did you found something?" his mother asked.  
"Maybe," Chris said, "I have a spell from Bianca, but I need you to leave the room, just for your own safety. From the look in his eyes, Piper knew that he meant it that way and she felt too exhausted to protest... So she left to the kitchen. But Wyatt stayed.  
Chris sighed: "I also meant you..."  
"I stay," Wyatt just answered, leaving no room for discussions.  
So Chris nodded. Then he cast the spell:  
_"Mysterious energy of antidote,  
to sense Paige's illness you are now told,  
as cloud of death and hope, from nowhere  
come to kill the illness inside her!"_  
As soon as he had finished a dark-red glow appeared in front of him.  
Wyatt inhaled deeply: "You know that this is black magic, do you?"  
Chris sighed: "I know... but in this case it's worth to try." He moved the glow telekinetically over to Paige. He tried to move it inside her but it didn't work. It was like an invisible barrier was stopping it.  
"Damn!" he cursed and tried it again... and again... getting more and more angry about the fact that it didn't work.  
Suddenly Wyatt noticed that the glow started to oscillate. Then he remembered something. As fast as he could he jumped over to his brother and pulled him down, just in the second the glow fired back at Chris. It passed them only inches hitting the vase on the sideboard in their back. With a loud clink the vase broke into pieces.  
Chris looked scared at the spot where the vase had stood, then he looked at his brother thankful.  
"Told you not to play with back magic," the blonde man replied to his brothers look with a smirk.  
At the same second Piper re-entered: "What happened?"

* * *

_(Chapter 8 written by charmedfreak and Chrissy.W.x) _


	9. Chapter 9

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 9**

"Ok, Bianca... Tell me the truth," Cole was looking deeply into the girl's full-of-guilt eyes. "You know something's wrong, don't you??" Bianca lowered her eyes, unable to bear his accusingly look.  
After a while, Cole sighed and sat down next to her, on her bed, and patted her shoulder amiably: "Hey... I just wanna help."  
"I know... But Chris worries too much, and he has more important things to think about right now." Bianca smiled weakly: "I'm just pregnant, Cole. This is a normal thing when you're pregnant."  
Her 'uncle in law' shook his head. "Come on, you can not lie to me. I understand that you don't want to worry him, but you know that you also need some help here. None of us wants to hurt him, and that is why I need you to tell me right now what is going on," he said kindly but in a firm tone.  
Bianca swallowed and her eyes welled up with tears. "I... I don't know," she said, raising her eyes to make them meet his. "I think this is normal, Cole, believe me..." She was shivering and her face was still very pale.  
Cole wrapped her up in his arms trying to comfort her, but said nothing. After some seconds, Bianca went on: "You know what I mean... Wyatt came from the future, and everything seems to be fine there. Even if he doesn't tell us, you know. But I feel everything is fine there. He would have told us if there was something wrong..." She whined.  
Cole pressed her against his strong chest: "Girl... I understand you perfectly well. But there's something you must know about all this. The fact that things are ok in Wyatt's future, even if we can not be sure of that either, doesn't mean that you don't need to fight to get that. You see... everything's fine there, but we don't know what we had to do to reach that future. What we'll need to do."  
Bianca looked at him without understanding, so Cole went on, smiling.  
"It's simple. I am here, and I am ok. If someone from this time went to my past and said to my demonic self that this would happen, do you think that I would have been passive the rest of my life? No... I would have known that things could happen. If I'm ok now is just because I would be able to make the right decisions in the due time. But the knowledge that we're safe in a future doesn't mean that we won't suffer and fight before. It only means that come what may, we'll succeed and reach that future." Cole stared at Bianca waiting for her reaction, and she finally nodded, trying to smile with her eyes filled with tears.  
"I... I know... And you're right, something's wrong... But I can't tell him. That's my decision, Cole, and if the future is good, that means that this decision was good..."  
Cole kept looking into her eyes, hesitantly. He wasn't s sure that this was the best decision, but Bianca was as stubborn as the Halliwells themselves. He finally sighed, making the decision that he would keep an eye on the girl. "Ok, Bianca... Just promise me that you will let me know if something like that happens again, ok? It's good that someone knows, although it's not Chris..."  
Bianca nodded, not really convinced of that, and Cole hugged her again.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris and Wyatt looked at each other, feeling somehow guilty before their mom's surprised look.  
"A bad spell," Chris said.  
"The wrong spell" Wyatt answered at the same time as his brother.  
Then Piper turned to look at Paige, who was still lying, sweating a lot and at the verge of fainting. She went towards her sister, her heart beating strongly.  
"We need to do something, and quickly," she said, looking at her sons beggingly. Chris lowered his eyes, as his brother nodded, pensive.  
Wyatt looked calmer. 'Maybe because of his knowledge about the future,' Piper thought. She wasn't too wrong with that. But actually Wyatt was just thinking... searching his mind for something almost forgotten.  
Chris on the other hand was very nervous. "I don't know what else we can do. How the hell happened this? Who's behind all this?" he asked, more to himself than to the others in the room.  
Piper shook her head. "These continuous attacks, and Wyatt's coming and all that weird stuff that's taking place around us... Chris, the Elders wanted to talk to you, they think you might know something..." she said wearily. "We should have told you before. That might have helped."  
Chris frowned, how could he help them, if he didn't understand anything at all? But when he was going to say something, he saw Wyatt approaching Paige. He didn't say a word, he just put his hands on Paige... And little by little she was healed by the golden glow.  
When Paige started, in shock and gasping for air, Piper helped her sit up and stared at her son wonderingly.  
Chris thought at that very moment, that he would know what had happened, and fixed his eyes on his brother, worried.  
"That can not be possible..." Piper muttered. "Three Elders couldn't heal her, how did you do that?"  
Wyatt shrugged, casting a quick look at Chris: "Mom, I come from the future. I'm sure that if magic develops, healing powers do so too. Probably our healing powers in the future are prepared for this kind of poison. If not, every whitelighter would be in danger, you know."  
Piper nodded, and Chris let out a deep breath, relieved.  
"I hope that's true... I hate this dizziness, this poison has a terrible effect in our heads..." Paige said, touching her head.

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve hugged Nicki tightly. He loved her so much, and he felt guilty for letting her suffer like this. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to her ear.  
"Don't be... There's no reason. I knew what I was going to do, I knew the risks..." she explained, "but for me, you are worth everything of that."  
Steve smiled weakly: "Still I'm sorry."  
Tom cleared his throat: "Is there anything more you remember?"  
Nicki shook her head. She really wished that she could tell them more... that she could light up that mystery, but she couldn't.  
Steve sighed: "Whatever happened last night... it's over... I'm fine! So, let's forget about it..."  
"But as long we don't know..." Veronica protested. She had a bad feeling about all that. She was sure they had done something to him... but what? Or was she just getting paranoid?  
"It's over!" Steve interrupted her a little angry.  
Tom put a hand on his girl's shoulder, to stop her from saying what ever she wanted to shot back. "Hey... give him some time to relax," he whispered to her.  
Veronica nodded. Maybe Steve really needed a little time to sort the things out for himself first.  
Tom sighed. He had realised how Veronica felt. And he couldn't deny that he felt the same. There was still something weird about Steve, but he couldn't catch it. It was just a feeling transported by their connection.  
"So, what are we gonna do now?" Nicki asked.  
Steve hugged her again: "Relax... you and me we're just going to relax... I think we both could need that."

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole sighed again feeling the woman relax in his arms. He really didn't want to leave her now, but he needed to talk to Phoebe, he needed to! "Honey, maybe you should lie down and try to sleep a little."  
Bianca smiled weakly: "I'm doing nothing else than that..."  
Cole caressed her hair: "I know... but hey... there are only a few weeks, right? And then? Be sure you will not have much time for sleeping like that anymore!" The Phoenix rose to face him with wondering eyes. He smiled: "Well...no one at the manor is sleeping very much since mini-Chris is born you know... He used to wake up everyone at about one o'clock in the morning... and then at half past three... and at six..." Bianca chuckled imagining that.  
"Hey that's good... That's what I wanted to see," he said pointing at her smiling lips, "and now you get some sleep, while I go to meet Phoebe... I need to talk to her short..."  
"But don't..." Bianca put her hand on his arm to stop him from standing up.  
"Don't worry, I won't tell her about you... And I promise I'll be back in a few minutes." She nodded. Cole looked at her with a sad smile, then he added: "If something happens, call for Chris... or at least, call for Leo or someone else who can help you... please!" Bianca nodded. Cole kissed her forehead and then he left.

°°°°°°°°°°

Piper sat still besides her little sister. She had brought her some water which she had swallowed down immediately. Chris kept looking at his brother, then he gestured to him to follow him into the kitchen.  
He walked over to the table and sat down. Wyatt did the same facing his brother. For a moment no one said anything, then Chris rose to speak. "So... I mean... are you sure she wasn't..." he didn't know how to say it.  
Wyatt sighed. Even if Chris's words didn't make any sense he could feel about his thoughts, his worries. He shook his head: "No, she wasn't dead... And anyway... I still believe that you had been not dead in that cave... No one can resurrect people... no one good at least."  
Chris lowered his eyes to the table. "But how...?"  
"Like I said... I didn't want to tell so much about the future. But if you want to know..." he said moving a little closer and speaking in a lower voice, "there will be a kind of magical upgrade in a couple of years from now... like a shift or something... making us whitelighters able to heal some more magical diseases, for example."  
"But why didn't you heal her before?"  
"I was still a child then, that's why I didn't thought about it at first. Where I came from this isn't anything special, you know?"  
Chris nodded accepting that. But he was still worried about what had happened about one year ago, now that those events brought things back to his mind. "Sounds good... but still I know, what you did in that cave... I really HAD BEEN dead, I felt it... don't care if you believe that or not... and... I mean, we don't know about the possible consequences, so what if...?"  
"Chris..." Wyatt interrupted him. He stood up and went over to kneel down by his side: "Please stop worrying... I'm fine, and so are you... that's all that matters..." He smiled and hugged his brother tightly.  
"Hey you two..." they suddenly heard the voice of Leo seconds before he orbed in, "how is Paige?"  
Both men looked up. "She's fine," Chris said with a smile.  
"So you've found an antidote?" Leo asked surprised.  
"No... your beloved and twice-blessed son did that!" Chris replied grinning.  
Leo looked astonished at his oldest son: "How????"  
"A magical upgrade in the future," the blonde witch answered shrugging, "I can't tell you more."  
The Elder - even if he could imagine that Wyatt wouldn't tell him more - wanted to ask what kind of 'upgrade' his son was talking about. But suddenly they heard some noises from the living room. And then they heard something explode.  
Leo and Chris rushed through the door as fast as possible. Wyatt grimaced: "Not another attack today..." Then he followed his family by orbing.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Hey honey," Phoebe said when Cole entered the library. She was still searching for something to help her sister, but...  
She stopped searching when she felt how worried Cole was. She went over to him and hugged him close. "I missed you... And I'm sorry that I was so stupid... I should have known that you..."  
Cole lift her head to look her into the eyes: "I thought we're already over that...?"  
Phoebe shook her head: "No... I had a lot of time to think, and... I realised that I was wrong...that's your life, your... family... I shouldn't..."  
"You are my family," Cole interrupted her, "that's all that matters... I love you... I love you so much, and I don't want to lose you!"  
The empath smiled at him with watery eyes, knowing that these words were the truth. "I love you too," she whispered and kissed him. But he freed himself from her hug.  
"What's wrong?" she asked worried.  
Cole went over to sit down on the table. "I had a premonition," he said.  
Phoebe immediately understood what was going on. She went to him and sat down next to him: "When? What did you see?"  
"Do you heard of Steve?" he asked.  
Phoebe nodded: "Adam and Harry had been here for a while, they told me about him and that he's fine again."  
Cole nodded. "When he was still kind of unconscious I touched him and had a vision..." he explained, "I saw him at the manor and you and the rest of the family were also there... And then..." He hesitated, but when he felt Phoebe pressing his hand tightly he went on: "I saw a kind of large demon attack, a lot of destruction and I saw... a lot of us get hurt..." He swallowed.  
"Maybe another attack, while our friends visit us..." the empath thought out loud. They had been attacked so much often lately, so that this sounded possible to her.  
Cole shook his head energetically: "No honey... I got a feeling, and I learnt that I should better trust that... I got a feeling that all this - the attacks and Steve's disappearing - are connected... That this is just one big thing..." Phoebe sighed, then nodded.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Damn it!!! DamnitdamnitdamnIT!" Piper was yelling in the middle of the lounge, while Paige kept sitting on the sofa, her legs bent and covering her face with a cushion.  
"What the hell..." Chris started to ask, but he stopped. Wyatt had already appeared in the middle of his orbs and was watching the scene.  
"Damn it!" Piper said once again, kicking a piece of wood that was on the floor.  
Leo went closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sweetie... Calm down, please, and tell me what happened..." he pledged.  
Piper shook her head desperately. "It was grandpa's clock! I just blew it up!!" she kept on yelling.  
Chris stared at the pieces, amazed, as Wyatt went to sit down by his aunt. "Are you ok?" he asked.  
Paige nodded slowly. "I think so..." she muttered, lowering the cushion and looking at her sister worriedly.  
"But how did this happen?" Leo went on, trying to calm his wife down.  
Piper sighed: "The demon. Another one... This one was thin and short, bold, and his face was half yellow half red... Nothing that you can find in the book, for sure!" Paige nodded, at the questioningly look of Chris. "I... I think that we won't be able to deal with this..." Piper moaned. She was so tired of that... They couldn't just go on like that forever!  
Chris approached his mom and caressed her face: "We will, I promise."  
Leo nodded, but Piper shook her head: "Don't you see it? That is the strategy. They, whoever they are, are sending stupid unknown demons one after another, just to wear us out. They must be watching us, or something, they will know exactly when they have to send their ultimate attack! This is just a trap... We can't fight forever."  
"We can, mom," Chris said, determined.  
"But we can't win all the battles," Leo added in a grave tone.  
Wyatt swallowed. Maybe that was the moment he had been waiting for, but... where was his brother's call? He hadn't heard him. Suddenly, he felt a terrible pain on his chest and couldn't go on thinking about it. He cried in pain.  
"Wyatt!" Paige exclaimed, looking at his wounded nephew. "Oh, my God..."  
He had a huge wound on his chest, but he tried to keep calm, even if he was sweating out of agony. Chris, Piper, and Leo turned to look at him.  
"Wyatt!" Chris cried, terrified at the sight of his badly wounded brother, and rushed towards him.  
"Chris, watch out!" Leo warned. He had just seen the demon that had attacked his son, and that had just thrown a second energy ball, this time directed against Chris.  
The young elder-witch turned to see what was happening but had no time to duck. However, something made him fall down on the floor, and the ball just flew over his head.  
Leo threw one of his rays against the demon, that instantly disappeared in the middle a black smoke, and then they all turned to see what had happened.  
"Wyatt are you ok?" Paige asked. It had been him... He had made Chris fall with his telekinesis, and he was still holding his hand up, but then he fainted because of the effort.

°°°°°°°°°°

The old demon wandered pensive in the cave, when another one materialised in front of him. He was wounded, like burnt by a ray.  
"Gee, I see you escaped. You deserve a big prize..." The old demon said, amazed and happy at the same time.  
The other one just bowed: "One of them got hurt."  
His boss nodded, pleased by the news. "Do you know what this means?" He made a pause. "This means that we made a whole in their pride. They're getting weaker psychologically... We have them where we wanted them. Now, bring the whitelighter here, and let's set the pieces on the chess board. The time has come." He smirked as the other demon nodded, holding his hurt arm.

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve had gone home together with Nicki. The young man just wanted to relax, he was tired of all this. He sighed when he closed the door to his apartment behind them.  
"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked Nicki again.  
She nodded smiling. Then she put her cardigan over the back of a chair and went over to Steve. She put her arms around him and placed her head on his chest. "Don't ever scare me like that again," she whispered.  
Steve hold her tightly and kissed her head: "I promise to do my best..."  
"I was really afraid, when you didn't came as you promised... First I was angry but then I felt fear..." she was sobbing a little.  
"I'm sorry," Steve said with a sigh, "I'm so sorry..."  
For a while they just kept hugging each other in a comforting way. Then suddenly Steve moaned a little holding his temple.  
"What's wrong?" Nicki asked.  
Steve shook his head: "Nothing, just a little headache... it had been a long day, that's all."  
His girl nodded, but wasn't truly convinced by his words. Anyway, a little rest would be good for both of them, so she led him to the bedroom.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris rushed over to his brother and immediately put his hands over his chest. When the golden light appeared his wound slowly closed.  
Wyatt smiled when he felt the warmth of Chris healing. He knew it was him, even if he kept his eyes closed. It was always a little different when his brother healed him, like when his dad or another whitelighter or Elder did. It was stronger, more intense.  
Chris sighed relieved when his brother slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "I owe you a lot man, a lot."  
Wyatt smiled shaking his head: "No, there is nothing you owe me... After all you had done and will do, I'm the one that owes you... owes you much more than you can think of!"  
Piper rolled her eyes. Even if this conversation filled her with joy, she had other things in mind, other things to worry about. "So what are we gonna do know?" she asked tired.  
Wyatt looked form Chris to his mother, then to his dad and then back to his mother: "You, Paige and dad go to magic school. I guess Phoebe is still worried sick. Anyway, you can prepare some more potions and stuff - and take some seconds to relax there, too. Me and Chris, we go and try to find out a little more down there in the Underworld.  
Piper wanted to protest, same as Leo. Both didn't like the thought of their sons walking around in the underworld, but Chris was faster.  
"Since when are you the commander here?" he asked frowning.  
"Am I wrong?" Wyatt asked back.  
Chris seemed to think hard for a moment. Then he smiled. "No," he said.  
Wyatt turned to his father: "Meet you here again in three hours" Then he took his brothers hand and orbed with him away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole was on his way to Bianca again. When Leo and the other sisters had appeared in the library, Phoebe first had hugged her youngest sister tightly, happy that she was fine. Then she had told them all about Cole's premonition. Of course she didn't say it was HIS. She had said that she had that vision when she had touched Cole after he had come back from the infirmary. He was relieved when he noticed that Piper and Paige believed that. And he also noticed that knowing smile from Leo.  
He had to smile about that on his own. God, he had been so afraid when he found out what had happened to him, that he was a witch now. But actually he really liked it... of course, he hated that premonition-stuff, it always gave him a feeling of eating his lunch a second time, but... he liked it to be a witch. And he really wouldn't mind if they know. It was just that he wasn't sure about how they would react, after all what he had done when he had powers in the past. That was the only thing that still worried him, that still scared him.  
He sighed when he reached the small apartment and opened the door quietly. Bianca lay on her bed, sleeping peacefully. It was already about half past eight and Cole felt a little tired on his own. He looked around and found what he was looking for. He took an additional cover and folded it out over her. She moaned softly in her sleep. Then he took another one and made himself comfortable in the two seats standing in the living room next to the bedroom-door which he left open.  
He had told Phoebe that he wanted to stay with her till Chris is back, of course he hadn't told her why. But Cole was sure she felt his worries, because she agreed without hesitating.  
He sighed looking at the sleeping Phoenix. He wished he would know what was going on with her... and also with the family... He wanted to help, he wanted it so badly, but he knew there was nothing he could do... except watching over the girl next to him. With another sigh he closed his eyes and a few moments later he had fallen into a slight sleep.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris looked at his brother tiredly. They were sitting in a kind of demonic bar, dressed in dark and dirty clothes, each a glass of beer on the table, but not drinking, not really.  
"Still, what do you want to find here?" Chris asked for the hundred of times since they entered that location.  
"Come on," Wyatt said grinning, "don't tell me you are not enjoying this."  
Chris chuckled: "Well if this would be a normal day, I would enjoy it I think... but..."  
"Just be patient," his brother interrupted him, "so... can I ask you a question?"  
Chris grinned: "Sure... if I can ask you one too?"  
Wyatt grinned: "Alright, sounds like a deal, so... When you came to the past, how was it being around them, I mean mom and dad... How was it for you?"  
The Elder-witch shook his head: "Can't you ask me that in your time?"  
Wyatt grinned again looking down on his glass: "You always told me that this was so long ago for you that you had forgotten about it..."  
"Well at least that sounds logical... But I can't..."  
Wyatt nodded: "I guess you just didn't want to talk about it..." Then he faced his brother again: "So? Do I have a chance here... in this time?"  
Chris sighed, then nodded: "Why not..." He paused frowning. "Well... it was... let's say it was difficult. You know, in my time they all had been dead for a long time so... Yeah I tried to see them as... as not my parents, as just someone who needed me to help... But believe me it really didn't work... When they didn't know who I am, when I always manipulated them to do what I wanted... well, they hated me... Yeah, I think they did... and that was the worst part of it."  
Wyatt sighed: "I'm sorry...maybe I shouldn't have asked."  
"No... no it's ok... It was my own fault. I mean... you know, I was the reason that mom and dad split up... That alone is enough to hate me..."  
Wyatt couldn't help but grinned. Then he nodded: "Your turn!"  
"Ok," Chris leaned back thinking about a question that was worth to be asked. Then he smiled: "Do I have a sister-in-law already, and maybe a nice or nephew?"  
His brother looked at him smiling: "I knew you would ask something about the future!"  
Chris just grinned, waiting for a reaction. He really didn't believe his brother would answer this, but he hoped for a kind of emotional hint he could get.  
But suddenly his brother nodded: "Kind of... I'm in love, yes... but she's a little younger than me, so I guess that's the reason why Michael and Angela don't like that..."  
"Michael and...?" Chris asked confused, but then he suddenly understood. "Don't tell me that you..."  
Before Chris could end his sentence Wyatt rose his head a little. Chris followed his eyes which were focused on the entrance. There at the door stood Julian.  
When he saw the brothers he went over to them. "What are you doing here? How did you know..." he said with a little angry voice. Then he turned to Wyatt: "I guess in the future you're part of our clients, right?"  
Wyatt just nodded. Then, with a look at his brother, he asked: "Is there anything new about the whitelighter?"  
Julian shook his head, sitting down: "I'm afraid not. But we are sure that there must be someone else behind that... the whitelighter is acting on orders..."  
Wyatt nodded again. Chris looked at him amazed. Maybe his brother knew more about the underworld than he had thought.

_

* * *

(Chapter 9 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x)_


	10. Chapter 10

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 10**

"So you think that Phoebe's premonition is what you predicted?" Leo asked, casting a wonderingly look at his wife. She nodded, looking at her sisters out of the corner of her eyes. The girls were submerged on the potions they were making.  
"I told you that they're planning something big. Maybe when we are exhausted... They're cleaning the field, Leo..."  
The man nodded pensive. Then stared at her: "I hope that you're wrong..."  
"Hey, guys!" Paige exclaimed, suddenly, "don't you think that all these attacks must be related somehow to what happened to poor Steve?" she asked, as if she had discovered the world. Piper raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, something like that just crossed my mind," she said sarcastically.  
"Well, what I mean is... If we can't figure out where all these demons come from, and the ones from Phoebe's vision, maybe we can try another direction... We should try to discover who took Steve."  
"Paige, did you get lost in the way home?" Phoebe asked, holding back a laugh, "his friends did that already, ok? They were trying to discover it... You heard what Cole said. They got Nothing!"  
Paige sighed: "Ok... just a thought. I wanted to try by talking with the last ones that saw him... And following his steps, perhaps. More a Sherlock Holmes work than a Harry Potter one, do you know what I mean?" The other three crossed glances for a while.  
"We could try... we don't have anything to lose..." Leo suggested.  
"Time. We lose time... But maybe Tom can do it for us," Piper intervened.  
Phoebe nodded. "Ok, Paige: Why don't you tell him this?"  
Paige grinned widely, and orbed, right after saying: "Done."

°°°°°°°°°°

Tom and Veronica were lying in his bed. Wrapped in the blanket they were kissing each other passionately. Slowly, lovingly the woman moved her hand over his body making him shiver in excitement. He moaned softly when he felt her fingertips dancing over his chest. Eagerly he began to kiss her cheek, her neck...  
Suddenly bluish orbing light filled the room, startling the lovers to death and making them cover themselves to the nose.  
"Oh God! PAIGE!" Tom exclaimed when he saw who had interrupted them so rudely.  
The witch-whitelighter looked at the couple a little embarrassed, but then she apologised: "Sorry, but I need your help."  
Tom looked at Veronica, then back to Paige. He sighed: "Alright, could you wait in the living room? We're down there in two minutes..." Paige nodded and orbed down grinning.  
In the living room she took a seat and waited. Paige was still smiling about the cute couple. And more she smiled about the fact how much the boy had grown up since they met the first time about a year ago.  
Suddenly her mobile phone rang.  
"Yeah?" she asked.  
"Hey Paige, here's Kyle... Darryl gave me your number, I hope that's ok..."  
"Oh, hey," she said surprised, "how are you?"  
"I guess, I'm fine," she heard him say. "I had a long day with a lot of thinking... Well... I wanted to ask you if we could meet again... I mean, just to talk...???"  
Paige smiled even if he couldn't see it. She was happy that he seemed to take things so easy. "Well... actually we have some demonic trouble... But if you give me your number I swear I call you back." She smiled again when he agreed and gave her his number. Then she heard steps on the stairs and quickly said goodbye to Kyle.  
Seconds later Tom and Veronica entered the room.  
"So what is so important that you disturb us while we're busy with the most beautiful minor matter in the world, huh?" Veronica asked making Tom and Paige blush.  
"Well," the witch-whitelighter, began to explain, "actually it's about Steve." The couple looked at her questioning so she went on. "Phoebe had a premonition and from that we believe, that whatever happened to Steve is connected to those continuing attacks on me and my sisters. So we thought you maybe like to try to find out what exactly happened to him after he had left that student. You know... the 'detective-way' Where did he go, who saw him?" she explained. "We would do it on our own, but we're too busy with those demons attacking every 15 minutes."  
Tom looked at Veronica, who held her look focused on Paige. She had noticed that the woman was really exhausted... really!  
"Alright," she said and then looked at Tom, "I mean... if you agree."  
Tom nodded. "Of course we help you, Paige," he said, turning to her, "but promise us to relax a little, you need it... Oh and next time... please orb in outside the bedroom, ok?  
Paige nodded. "Ok... and thanks," she said and orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Wyatt and Chris watched Julian leaving. They had talked about half an hour, but Julian couldn't tell them something, they didn't already know.  
Wyatt noticed that his brothers eyes rested on him. "What?" he asked grinning.  
Chris shook his head: "We're their clients?"  
Wyatt laughed: "Well actually we're using them as informants like they use us... like one hand helps the other..." He wouldn't tell him that they were more like friends actually. His brother wouldn't believe that anyway.  
Chris shook his head again. "Unbelievable," he muttered.  
"Yeah, I know... come on, let's talk about something more funnier before we have to return home," Wyatt said smiling.  
The Elder-witch nodded: "After you told me that you will date the unborn daughter of my best friend... I guess it's your turn again."  
Wyatt frowned and his smile faded. But he had to ask this, cause he really wanted to know: "Ok... What did you think, what did you feel when we met the first time? When I came to the past the last time?"  
Chris let out some air. That was a though question... and he really didn't like to answer that... not to him. But that was the deal. "Well I was scared... mostly... and confused... I guess it was because I didn't know if you had been good or evil or whatever... I was just scared that everything could start again," Chris answered honestly with a low voice, avoiding the look of his brother.  
Wyatt nodded: "I'm sorry!"  
"What? Why?" Chris exclaimed. "There is no reason for you to be sorry... you've saved me! If someone has to feel like that, than it's me, because I judged you before I even knew you!"  
Wyatt grinned: "Yeah... by the way... I still remember that... Why I came... I mean your... well, you know what I mean... I still know how you..."  
Chris could see how his brother fought to say what he wanted to say. He remembered how he had died in the future. But Chris was surprised that he did. "You do?" he asked. "I thought with the change of the timeline you would..."  
"No..." Wyatt interrupted him, "if you are not in your own time when something is changed then you remember both versions after that..."  
"Wow..."  
"Yeah... so I know how you always feel, when your daughter messed up with the time..." Wyatt said, now laughing again. Chris looked at him questioning. But his brother just grinned: "One of the 'time-powers' you still have to discover... Your turn!"  
The Elder-witch shook his head unbelieving. Was his brother just saying that he had also some powers dealing with the time, like his daughter will have? But from Wyatt's look he knew that he wouldn't get an answer to that question, so he asked another one: "So what about mini-me... I mean... is he dating mini-Bianca???"  
Wyatt laughed out loud. That was really funny. He laughed so much that some tears left his eyes. "No... no..." he said still laughing, "they never met... her mom didn't let that happen... and anyway... she wouldn't be that kind of girl for him, he prefers more the cute blonde ones..." Both men laughed heartily.

°°°°°°°°°°

The demon looked at the whitelighter with a smirk. "Everything prepared?" he asked.  
The young man nodded quickly, fearful of the demon. He really didn't like how the things had turned, but he knew there was no way back.  
Then the old demon turned to another demon standing besides the whitelighter: "And you? Are your followers ready?"  
The demon took a bow, then he said: "Yes master, everything is prepared. Just give the signal and they will go and wipe them out forever."  
The old demon smiled widely. Then he turned to the whitelighter again: "So then... let's move our knight to beat the king... and then checkmate!"

°°°°°°°°°°

Tom and Veronica walked along the streets hopelessly. "Harry's mom said that his son stayed at home after he left... He doesn't know anything. This is useless, Veronica," Tom said. The girl just nodded, pensive.  
"Yeah... I know..." she shook her head. "But there's something we're missing. I've got that feeling..."  
"Look at that, there's the pub where Steve was supposed to be all the time," Tom said stopping all of a sudden in the middle of the street. "But he was never there..."  
"Yeah, but... the scrying never lies... We completely overlooked that. If it said Steve was here... there must be something here, don't you think so??"  
Tom stared at her, and then he shrugged. "Let's go in. But I'm not sure how we're supposed to find out something here." He sighed, and entered the pub, followed by Veronica.

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki lied curled into Steve's arms. He hugged her tightly. Both didn't sleep even if they had closed their eyes. They just lied there comforting each other with their closeness.  
"I love you," Nicki whispered to his ears.  
He smiled: "I love you, too."  
She moved a little closer and put her arms around him. Then she sighed: "Sometimes I wish we would be just normal... without powers... and without demons..."  
Steve caressed her cheek. Then he gave her a kiss and whispered: "Don't you think that would be kind of boring?" Both chuckled. It was a really relaxed atmosphere.  
But suddenly Nicki felt a kind of tension she couldn't describe. Then Steve yelled in pain holding his head.

°°°°°°°°°°

A terrible cry made Cole start upright on the improvised bed. He stopped to listen, his heart beating strongly, to check that it hadn't been a dream. But suddenly, he heard again this cry coming from Bianca and Chris's room. Cole jumped on his feet and rushed into the room, just to find out that Bianca was on the floor, holding her womb and crying out of pain and anguish.  
"Oh no..." he muttered, as he ran towards her and knelt by her side. "Bianca, listen to me... You'll be fine, ok?? You need to calm down..." he was wrapping her in his arms, feeling helpless, and Bianca couldn't hold her tears back, so huge was the pain she was feeling.  
"Cole... Cole what is this?" she asked, scared.  
Cole didn't know what to answer. He didn't even know what to do... "You'll be ok, sweetie... Don't worry." He looked around himself, looking for something, he didn't know what.  
"Chris... call'im... please..." she sobbed.  
Cole swallowed, looking at her and not knowing what he could do better than that. "I'll be right..." Suddenly he stopped, feeling as if he was in a rollercoaster. It took only a few seconds, as always, but when it was finished, he only wanted to throw up like everytime. He stared at Bianca, terrified. He couldn't believe what he had seen. 'Oh, God... tell me I'm wrong,' he silently prayed.  
"Cole!!" Bianca cried, feeling how the pain grew inside her.  
The man reacted quickly: "You come with me, we'll find something good for you here, in the school..." After saying that, he took her on his arms and went to the infirmary, with the hope of finding something to heal her. For some reason, he didn't want the others to know now. He didn't want Chris to know this either. After what he had seen, he had to solve it without telling anyone. Because in his vision, everyone was there...  
"I'll find something..." he repeated, as she cried in his arms.

°°°°°°°°°°

"I'm gonna find something Steve!!! Please, hold on... it's ok..." Nicki saw how the boy held his head, full of a terrible pain, and she wasn't able to focus on her task of finding something that helped him.  
"Nicki... go away..."  
"What??" she stared at him surprised. He was still holding his head. "No way! I'm not gonna leave you, are you in your mind, man?" She went back to her search in the cupboards. There should be something there..  
"GET-AWAY-FROM-ME, Nicki!!" Steve repeated, fixing his eyes on the girl angrily.  
Nicki couldn't believe her eyes...  
"Please!!" he moaned, lowering his head, "please... go..."  
Nicki went to him. His voice seemed softer for a moment, the headache must have been declining. "Do you feel better? What the hell do you mean, Steve?"  
"I told you to leave..." This time, Steve voice was lower, more aggressive. He glared at a surprised Nicki, and suddenly hit her on her cheek so loudly, that she fell down and hit her head against the side table, passing away. She didn't even have to time to wonder what was going on.  
"I told you to leave..." Steve repeated, standing in front of the girl with a cold look in his eyes. Now he had to do what he was meant to do...

°°°°°°°°°°

"Eww, it's gross in here," Veronica complained, but she didn't say anything else, because she knew she had to do this, for Steve.  
"Hey, look over there." Tom said, pointing at a man with a tattoo on his face, while he thought: 'I know that guy, but from where? From where?'  
When that man saw them he turned around to leave. Veronica and Tom looked at each other, then followed him. But when they crossed a corner, he wasn't there anymore. He was either very fast, or a demon.  
"He's a demon, I remember him from a lesson." Veronica remembered. "He's one of them who can levitate and throw fireballs. Remember him?"  
Tom looked very weird: "There are so much demons like that, but that doesn't matter, do you know how powerful he is?"  
Veronica just froze, she didn't answer Tom's question and she didn't move. Because at that moment, the demon shimmered back in.  
"I thought you could only levitate and throw fireballs?" Tom asked to stretch time.  
"Yeah... hey it seems you know a lot about me... but what you don't know... I stole a few new powers, by killing some folks and that's... how I will end with you, too," he answered Tom's question.  
Veronica pressed Tom's hand tightly, wishing he would just shimmer them out.

°°°°°°°°°°

"No, Cole, just get Chris!" Bianca begged under her breath, while he hurried down the hallway.  
"But you..." Cole tried, but the woman interrupted him.  
"I feel it... I need Chris," she said. But then another wave of pain hit her as she screamed: "NOW!!"  
"Okay, I hope this is the right thing to do... CHRIS!!!!!!" He sighed. "Get here, now! Bianca needs you!" he yelled still holding Bianca tightly. He needed to help her, but... What he saw was just too horrible... But still... he was afraid that calling Chris could already start all those events.  
They waited, but Chris didn't came. "He must be in the Underworld" Cole said worried.  
Meanwhile it was hard for the Phoenix to breathe, she was in so much pain, actually too much...

°°°°°°°°°°

"Me, with blonde girls? I want to see that. I only dated one blonde girl... when I was thirteen, and it was over after three days!" Chris said while still laughing.  
"Well, it's still that girl and yeah, since he was thirteen... but it's on, off, on, off. They can't live with each other, neither they can without..." Wyatt said, and they didn't laugh anymore, because when Chris stopped, Wyatt couldn't laugh anymore too. The Elder-witch sighed remembering that girl, and he really couldn't believe that his mini-version could be so much in love with her. But who knows, maybe she was the right one for him...   
Suddenly a fight began between a typical demon, black suit, ugly face, he seamed pretty dangerous, and a darklighter.  
"Oh yeah... I really need that... demonic-kindergarten-fight..." Wyatt said to his brother.  
But one of the demons heard him and recognised who they really were. "Witches! Witches!" he screamed and everyone looked at the brothers.  
Both stood up and flinched a little, looking around to calculate their chances. "Should we go now or should I just kill them all?" Wyatt whispered.  
"Time to go," Chris said, grabbed his arm and orbed with him away .

°°°°°°°°°°

Cole carried Bianca to the infirmary, but it was no one else there.  
"Damn it!" he cursed.  
Again the woman started to cry in pain after he had placed her on the chaise.  
Desperately Cole tried to calm her down. "Don't worry Bianca, everything will be alright," he whispered. But the Phoenix was still crying.  
Cole closed his eyes thinking about what he could do. He couldn't call for Chris again... He shouldn't... and he even shouldn't bring her to the manor... no... Finally he looked up to the ceiling and yelled: "ODIN, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE, I NEED YOU!!!"  
Seconds later the Elder orbed in. "Hey what's wrong with you man to call me like..." he said angry. But then he noticed Bianca. "What happened?" he asked. Before the man could say anything the woman yelled again.  
"Help her!" Cole commanded.  
Odin already tried while he asked: "Why didn't you call Chris... or Leo... why me?"  
"I can't call them... especially not Chris... he would bring her to the manor and their she would die in his arms!" he answered desperate.  
The Elder stopped the healing and looked at the man frowning: "How can you know that?"  
Cole glanced back serious: "Because I saw it and now heal her!"  
Odin just looked back at him confused. But then he sensed it... and he understood: "The field..." he muttered.  
"Damn it! HEAL HER!"  
Cole's harsh voice brought the Elder back to reality. Again he tried to heal her but it didn't work. "I can't do anything," he said finally, "it's a natural thing, it's..."  
The same second Bianca's womb started to glow through her sleeping-dress for a moment, while she again cried in pain.  
"You think THAT'S natural?" Cole asked angry.

°°°°°°°°°°

Tom frowned: "Where did I hear that story before...???"  
The demon looked kind of surprised at that young witch. Same as Veronica. 'How could he be so... fearless?' she thought.  
Tom just grinned and then froze the feet and hands of the demon. The ice hold him to the wall of the backroom like strong chains, and even better. He had frozen his hands completely so he wasn't able to move any of his fingers and let alone throw fireballs...  
"That's better," Tom said.  
"Wow..." Veronica muttered, "since when did your powers increase like that... I mean... you told me..."  
Tom smiled: "Practising with the influence of my Phoenix-part... I'm able to make the ice a little colder now... that freezes also the strongest demon... well... most of them I guess..."  
Veronica couldn't help chuckling. But then she turned serious and faced the demon. "Would you be so kind to tell us, what you did to our friend? What did you do to the witch who was here?"  
The demon grinned: "There was no witch here..."  
Tom made the ice grew up along the demons arms and legs. "Sure?" he asked him, while the creature yelled in pain.  
"Ok, ok..." he said then under his breath, "your friend wasn't here... only a kind of potion made from his blood..."  
Veronica looked at her friend confused, then back to the demon: "And where was he?"

°°°°°°°°°°

The glow vanished again, while Odin and Cole looked at her with a mixture of shock and helplessness. But at that very same moment a little light appeared next to Bianca which turned to the 5-year-old-version of Hope. Odin, who saw that for the first time, was frozen in shock.  
But Cole was already used to it: "Hope, whatever you're doing... STOP IT!"  
The little girl was crying desperately: "You have to bring mommy to daddy... uncle you have to!"  
Cole felt sorry for yelling at the girl, she seemed so afraid too... but he couldn't do that, he couldn't let that happen... he had to save her from his vision. "Sorry, sweetie," he said to her, "believe me, I'll find a way to..."  
"NO!" the girl yelled. "WE NEED HIM!" Then, before Cole could stop her, she went over to her mother and orbed with her away.  
"Shit!" Cole exclaimed. Then he turned to Odin: "Come on... send me after her!"

_

* * *

(Chapter 10 written by Belén, Chrissy.W.x and charmedfreak)_


	11. Chapter 11

**A Charmed Story - Part Seven:  
Hope Dies Last  
Chapter 11**

Leo was the first one who returned to the manor. He had brought the kids up to the Elderworld to Silas. There they were save while the kindergarten of the magic school was closed.  
Seconds later Paige and her sisters orbed in. Everyone of them was armed with lots of potions.  
Piper sighed: "So... now we have to wait..."  
"I wouldn't wonder if nothing happens... if we armed ourselves for no reason..." Paige said sarcastically. Phoebe rolled her eyes and sat down.  
The next moment the brothers orbed in. Still dressed in the dark and dirty closes, smelling like a dump.  
"Wow? Where have you been?" Leo asked worried.  
"Long story," Chris said, while putting off his coat. Wyatt just nodded.  
"Have you found something?" Piper asked. She seemed to be even more worried then the Elder.  
Chris shrugged: "No... only that there is a whitelighter involved... but he's not the head of it..."  
Suddenly the air began to wave. Piper rose her hands to blow up the intruder, when they noticed that it was Tom.  
"Hey, did you find something?" Paige asked approaching him.  
Tom nodded: "Yeah... You wouldn't believe it. There was this demon, and he told us that they took Steve to manipulate him."  
"What?"  
"How?"  
Everyone looked at the young man confused.  
"I don't know," Tom went on. "He didn't knew much, only what he had to know. But then we shimmered to Steve's house and found Nicki unconscious... no sign of Steve..."  
"That's mysterious," Phoebe muttered.  
At that moment several demons shimmered in around them, immediately starting to throw fireballs at the family. And Steve was leading them!  
Everyone ducked just in time to avoid the first round of attack.  
Tom was the first one who rose again: "Damn it Steve, what are you doing?"  
But he didn't react. He was acting more like a machine then a human. He threw a kind of flash out of his hand, a little like the way Elders did. Tom flew backwards and crashed into the wall. He swore and cursed in pain and frustration.  
Meanwhile everyone was involved in the fight. The sisters threw potions, Piper and Wyatt let some demons explode, Chris made them fly telekinetically to the walls, while Leo helped Tom. They fought desperately, but it seemed to the sisters that the demons kept coming and coming. It seemed they couldn't win.  
In the middle of the fighting, suddenly bluish orbing lights filled the room. Chris was shocked and scared to death, when he saw his wife with the astralprojection of his daughter appear from the orbs in the middle of the room. Lying on the ground the Phoenix moaned. Chris rushed over to them, to her, while the others were still fighting, and was even more scared when he saw how pale Bianca was.  
"Sweetie, what are you doing here?" he asked, while a fireball passed him, only inches from his head away.  
But Bianca didn't answer, again she cried in pain.  
That moment Cole orbed in. When he saw the mess around him he was shocked. He just had enough time to avoid an energyball.  
Wyatt, who could feel the pain and the worries Chris felt though their connection, knew he had to do something, had to end this quickly. So he crawled over to Paige. "You have to orb to Steve and orb with him away for 30 seconds," he said.  
"What?" Paige asked in disbelieve.  
"Please," Wyatt begged, "I don't want to hurt him!" Paige nodded and did as he had said.  
While his aunt orbed, Wyatt told the other to stay hidden. Then he watched how his aunt orbed behind Steve, grabbed his shoulders and disappeared with him.  
Wyatt rose. Like he had did it before he stretched out his arms and that orange band of energy appeared and streamed through the room, through the whole house... Every single demon was vanquished within 10 seconds. Only one person was left. One that Wyatt couldn't hurt but also one who couldn't leave, cause Wyatt hold him telepathically.  
Piper reacted instinctively and blew the man up. He exploded to thousands of little blue lights, which reform to the man immediately.  
Tom stood up: "Adam?"  
Everyone looked now at the young whitelighter. Now they recognise what the dark dress and the dirt had made them overlook.  
"Oh my God," Paige said when she rematerialised with Steve who struggled to get free. "Adam how could you do that?"  
Again Bianca moaned in pain, which let everyone feel the urgency.  
Wyatt swallowed feeling the desperation of his brother. He closed his eyes and turning to the whitelighter he demanded: "Release Steve from whatever you did to him and tell us what this is all for!"  
Adam's coolness faded. He was afraid... no he was scared... because he was alone. He did as Wyatt had said and threw a potion to the ground where Steve was standing. Seconds later it was like their friend woke up from a dream. But at the same moment Adam cried in pain and then he explode before he could say any other word.

°°°°°°°°°°

The old demon turned around when a darklighter entered. "And? Is it done?" he asked.  
The darklighter took a bow: "I'm afraid no, master."  
"WHAT?" the demon yelled furious. He had planed everything so detailed, so clearly... How could it not work?  
"I'm sorry, master," the darklighter went on, "there was another witch, they called him Wyatt like the baby... but he was an adult... he vanquished everyone master... just with a move of his hand."  
The demon groaned: "And the whitelighter?"  
"I killed him, before he could say anything."  
The demon nodded.

°°°°°°°°°°

"I'm here sweetie," Chris said. His voice was braking. He was just kneeling next to his wife, holding her hand. While the fight had gone on around him, he had already tried to help her with healing, but it didn't work. Now everything around them was calm, but he didn't even notice.  
He felt desperate, helpless, weak... He was so scared that anything could happen to her.  
"Daddy," little Hope said.  
Chris looked up. The girl was holding a sheet of paper in front of his nose.  
"Daddy, I don't want to hurt mommy... please help me to stop this," she said.  
Chris took the sheet of paper and looked at it, while their family was approaching them. Chris read the text, it was a spell... a spell to bind Hopes powers... or at least a part of it.  
Chris looked up again: "No I can't do that."  
"Do what?" Piper asked. Leo was also there, also trying to heal her with no result.  
Everyone looked desperate at the couple. They all knew how much they loved each other and it broke their hearts to see the Phoenix suffer like that.  
"Please Daddy, you have to stop me!" Hope begged again.  
Cole put a hand on his nephews shoulder. "It's ok, just do it..." he said, even if he wasn't sure that it would help... not after what he had seen... But he had to help them now, he had to be there from them.  
Chris sighed, remembering what Wyatt had told them after their arrival... that his daughters powers had been bound... Then he took a deep breath and cast the spell:  
_"I call the entity of time and space  
Come now here to us at this place  
Bind all the kid's powers which hurt her mother somehow  
Bind all these great powers, bind them now!"  
_While Chris had spoken these words, the image of Hope faded, and when he ended it was gone.  
For a moment everyone had the feeling that Bianca would relax, but then she cried again.  
"Hey, what's that?" Wyatt asked, pointing at the woman's night-dress. It was wet.  
"Oh-oh..." Piper said. "Her water broke..."  
"Paige, orb to the kitchen, we need towels and a lot of hot water. Cole get the blanket from the sofa..." Leo commanded. Then he turned to his son: "Seems it's time for you to become a daddy."  
Chris looked at him unbelieving: "What? That's to early...!"  
"What date is it?" Wyatt asked, worried on his own.  
"July 22nd," Piper replied.  
Her oldest grinned: "Well then it isn't too early... July 22nd is Hope's birthday."  
"You knew that?" Chris asked completely lost.  
"I didn't know which date it is..." Wyatt defended himself.  
"No time for that," Leo said, "I need your help here."  
Together they helped Bianca to a more comfortable position. Chris was supporting her, while she yelled again.  
"Shhhhh, sweetie... It's ok... it will be over soon," Chris said softly.  
"I'm afraid," Bianca whispered.  
"There is no need to," Leo said. "I know what I'm doing."  
Chris nodded. He caressed his wife's cheek and kissed her hair. "I love you," he said, "we will get through this together."  
Piper had sat down next to them holding Bianca's hand tightly.  
The other had stepped back giving them a little more space. It was an indescribable feeling they all felt. Especially Wyatt was completely overwhelmed. He would witness how Hope... one of his best friends, was born.  
Cole had sat down on the sofa, hiding his face in his hands. He begged to God that what he saw wouldn't come true. Phoebe who had noticed that something was wrong with her fiancé, went over and sat down next to him.  
Meanwhile Bianca was working hard to give birth to her child. Chris was so excited and so scared at the same time... he didn't... he really didn't know what he felt, but what ever it was, it was overwhelming.  
"Come on," Leo said, "just one more time, Bianca... pressing..." So she did...  
Moments later a huge smile appeared on Leo's face. And then they heard the sweet cry of the new-born girl.  
"Welcome to this world, little Hope," the proud grandfather said and showed the girl to Chris and Bianca, before he cut the navel cord.  
Chris just smiled. She was so small... so helpless... so cute. He couldn't believe it... that was his girl! It was just amazing.  
"Hey sweetie, look how..." When Chris turned to Bianca again all the joy he felt, all the happiness, was washed away within a second. His wife had closed her eyes. She wasn't moving.  
"Bianca?" he shook her softly, "Bianca!... DAD!"  
Leo had given the baby to Piper and now tried to heal the woman. But nothing happened.  
Chris started shivering when Leo searched for her pulse. "That can't be... that can't be..." he mumbled.  
After a while Leo looked up with sad eyes: "I'm sorry" he said.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Chris yelled crying so hart and desperate, that it broke everyone's heart.  
Cole broke down into Phoebes arms, while the empath just realised that he had known it. She hugged him with tears in her eyes.  
Paige went over and hugged Piper who was so shocked that her sister feared she could brake down every second.  
Steve, who was himself again, and Tom looked at each other not knowing what to do or to say.  
Leo just sat down next to his son, who hugged his dead wife as if that could change something.  
Chris didn't notice anything of that. He just cried. He felt his world braking into pieces. He felt his soul dying with his wife. She was everything to him, he knew he couldn't go on without her. He needed her, and Hope needed her, too. 'She can't be dead' he thought, 'she can't... she just can't... Wyatt had said she's fine... Wyatt had said... Wyatt... Wyatt...'  
Chris rose his head. With his red and swollen eyes he looked at his brother beggingly. "Please... Wyatt... Please help me... Please save her..."  
Wyatt was crying... he cried the whole time, cause he felt Chris's heart braking like it would have been his own. He couldn't understand all this. Bianca had been there when he left the future. Could his trip to the past mess up with the time so much? But then everything became clear, because he heard and also felt his brother's pleading... He felt it in every cell of his body... Like in that dream...  
"Chris," Leo said, "no one can..."  
"Please Wyatt... I know you can do it... I believe in you..." Chris begged not listening to his father's words.  
Everyone was watching the Elder-witch, everyone felt pity for him and everyone was sure that Chris's begging was useless, everyone except his brother.  
Wyatt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How could he do that. He knew what Chris meant, but...  
"Please... Wyatt..." Chris sobbed desperate.  
Wyatt sighed as he went over to them and knelt down next to Bianca's body. Then he looked at Chris who glanced at him expectantly. He didn't believe that it could work, but he had to try, for Chris. So he put his hands over her body and closed his eyes again.  
"Wyatt?" Piper asked confused. Also Cole looked up again, suddenly remembering what Chris had once told him.  
First nothing happened. Then suddenly a golden light appeared underneath Wyatt's hands and covered the Phoenix from head to toe. Everyone was shocked by that, everyone except Chris and Cole.  
It took only a few seconds, then suddenly Bianca inhaled deeply.  
Wyatt flinched a little surprised and shocked that it really worked. He had never believed that he really could do that... not again...  
Bianca coughed. Chris helped her to rise a little to be able to breath easier.  
"What... what happened...?" she asked  
"Shhhh... Just relax, ok?" Chris said to her ear and again his voice broke, cause he felt so overwhelmed, so relieved... "Everything is fine, don't worry."  
"Where is my baby?" she asked then. Piper gave Hope to her and Bianca hold her tightly smiling overwhelmed, too.  
Chris began to chuckle, he couldn't help it. It was just the tension that left him, when he saw his wife - alive - with their daughter in her arms.  
Then he looked at his brother who sat beside them a little exhausted.  
Wyatt smiled back. He could read Chris's thoughts, and he felt his feelings... He felt how thankful he was, and that was more than thousand words he could have said.  
Everyone was happy that moment, even if no one except the brothers really understood what had happened. They were just happy that in the end everyone was fine.

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve, who had been watching the whole scene with sadness reflected on his face, took advantage of the moment of relief that everyone felt once Bianca was completely healed, and asked Tom to shimmer him away, in search of his love.  
Nicki was sitting on the bed, wrapped up in a blanket that Veronica had gently placed around her friend's shoulders. She had a plastic bag with ice on her head, and was sobbing weakly now. Veronica had been trying to cheer her up, saying that everything was gonna be ok, that they had discovered some things, that Steve had been manipulated all the time... But she would not respond in any way. She just fixed her eyes in an invisible point at the front.  
"Hey..." a shy voice made the girls raise their heads just to face Steve.  
Nicki stared at him expressionless, but Veronica smiled and stood up to leave them alone. Just when she passed by the boy, she glanced at him and patted his shoulder. Then she left with Tom.  
Nicki kept sitting on the bed as Steve approached her, ashamed.  
"I'm sorry..." he mumbled, looking in her glassy eyes. "I... I just..." he shook his head, "I don't know what to say." He sat down by her, and caressed her wounded head softly.  
"You don't need to say anything," Nicki answered, with a trembling voice.  
"Nicki, I can't believe what I did. I would have never hurt you, I swear. Any of you. I almost killed all the people I love..."  
He was trying to hold his own tears back, but Nicki shrugged. "It's ok, Steve..."  
"No, it's not. It's not ok that I was ignoring all the time what happened to me, and put you all in danger. I... I hurt you Nicki," he sobbed.  
Nicki sighed and turned to look him in the eyes. She had never felt so bad...  
"I love you girl, I do. I would always protect you, remember?? I just can't... forgive myself for what I've done."  
Nicki put a finger on his lips to make him stop talking. "Steve... It's ok You were manipulated. Veronica told me. I know that something happened to you, but you're ok, now. I just wanna forget all this." She forced a smile, and Steve nodded.  
Then, she kissed him on his lips, and the boy closed his eyes, thinking painfully: 'Yes... you wanna forget. I will never be able to.' And as he closed his eyes, the images of all the terrible things he had undergone came to his head... His being chained, hit when he didn't collaborate, taken to that other chamber and tied to a chair, the light... the pain... the pain... A tear ran down his face as he kept kissing Nicki. The pain and the nothingness. Now he remembered perfectly well what they had done to him, he just had some blanks which corresponded to all the time that he wasn't himself. He recalled the pain, above all... something he'd never forget.  
He kept kissing Nicki, and the tears rolled down his cheeks.

°°°°°°°°°°

Odin had orbed Cole to the manor, and then he kept pensive, like petrified. Cole was a witch... Since the day he had been in the fields with Chris. Since that very day, he had kept the secret. Why?  
He shook his head... Because he had been a demon before, and he was afraid that they would not have liked the idea. Because actually, some people up there hadn't liked the fact that he had gone to those fields.  
He sighed and orbed to the Upper World, he had a lot of things to think through...

°°°°°°°°°°

The rest of the family as well as Tom and Veronica went back to whatever they had to do. Tom took Veronica home. Leo went to the Upper World to get the kids back, and tell the Elders how everything had gone on. How Adam had been discovered and killed by their own bosses. It was a bad day, a day to remember for all of them.  
Nicki would be told some hours later, and she would feel worse than ever. Adam had been her apprentice, she had fully trusted him. It was the worse news ever...But she wouldn't talk with Steve about it. They wouldn't talked about what happened, it was too painful.  
Piper called a doctor to come and check on Bianca and Hope. After all the girl was born to early and they just wanted to make sure that everything was alright now.  
Wyatt was lost in his own thoughts, trying to understand what he had done, but knowing well that this had been the reason why he came to the past... Now he knew.

°°°°°°°°°°

It was already early morning. Bianca was sleeping in their bed as Chris lulled their baby in their little lounge. He couldn't believe that she was there already. His little Hope P. Halliwell - because they still had to figure out what the P stood for - was already alive in her true time. Which surprises would the future bring? He wondered as he stared at the baby and studied her face, her little hands, her little feet, her little nose and ears, her perfect beautiful green eyes... He had to smile.  
"Hey you're gonna be so big..." he whispered.  
"Just like her father," a voice surprised him from behind.  
Chris turned to face its owner, and smiled, happy and sad at the same time. "Hey, Wyatt..." he said as his brother went closer. "Isn't she beautiful?" he asked him.  
The blonde man took one of her little hands and softly caressed her small fingers. "This is so weird... She will get mad when she knows that I'm seeing her so little and defenceless."  
"Are you talking about me??" another voice made them turn around.  
"Hope!" Wyatt exclaimed.  
The girl was widely smiling at their back. "Oh, look at that, am I not cute?" she asked, looking at the baby in Chris's arms.  
Her father smiled, amazed. "I guess it's time for you to leave Wyatt... The taxi is waiting for you," he said sadly.  
Wyatt frowned: "I have that potion to go back, I..."  
"Oh, come on, shut up, Wyatt!" Hope said, rolling her eyes. "Don't spoil it!! What if I just wanted to see my little self and my daddy?? Actually..." she grinned, kissing Chris on his cheek, "I came because dad told me that perhaps you two would like to enjoy more time together."  
"What??" Chris exclaimed. "But... What about future consequences and all that stuff?" He couldn't believe that he himself had said that, or would say that in the future.  
"You know, daddy... you're getting older," Hope winked at him, and then, after kissing both men goodbye, she disappeared in the middle of those purple orbing lights.  
Chris and Wyatt stared at each other amazed. What if something more would happen? But... what the hell!! They had more time for them as brothers! They started to laugh full of happiness.

°°°°°°°°°°

"You're smiling..." Julian said.  
Belthazor turned serious immediately: "No I'm not." He separated himself from the computer.  
"You were smiling, I know."  
"No, I wasn't!!! And we have a lot of things to do now, so turn that damn machine off, and work!"  
Julian chuckled and shook his head. Then he looked at the screen and saw Chris and Wyatt with the baby, laughing, and he himself grinned before shutting the computer down...

_

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(Chapter 11 written by Chrissy.W.x and Belén)_

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**Alright... So much for this story. We hope you enjoyed reading it. Next week on friday we'll start with the next story of this series. So stay tuned.  
**


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